Cognitive Behavioural Approach

There are many different psychotherapy options in modern society today. I shall be focusing on the primary forms of psychotherapy, such as cognitive, humanistic and behavioural. I shall then identify the focus of each approach as well as the areas of agreement and difference.

Cognitive-behavioural therapists hold that beliefs play the central role in our behaviours and feelings. These therapies share three core assumptions such as; (1) cognitions are identifiable as well as measureable. (2) cognitions are the key players in a healthy and unhealthy psychological functioning and (3) irrational beliefs or catastrophic thinking such as “I will never succeed at anything or “I’m worthless” can be replaced with more rational and adaptive cognitions. A prime example of a cognitive behavioural approach is the REBT ( rational emotive behavioral therapy, pioneered by therapist Albert Ellis) its cognitive in its emphasis on changing how we may think as well as focusing on changing how we act.
Humanistic therapists reject the interpretive techniques of psychoanalysis, they strive to understand the client's’ inner conscious world through empathy and, focus on the present moment thoughts and feelings. Humanistic therapists share a desire to help people overcome alienation within our culture, to develop their emotional awareness and to express themselves and their creativity to help clients become loving, responsible and, authentic. Humanistic therapists feel there is a great importance of assuming the responsibility for decisions, not attributing to their problems in the past, but living fully and finding meaning in the