Cognitive Therapy

The basic tenet of cognitive therapy is that psychological
problems stem from the way people view and think about the events
that happen to them. Consequently, therapy focuses on helping patients
change their viewpoints. For example, with a patient who becomes depressed
after the breakup of a relationship, the cognitive therapist will assess
the meaning that the breakup has for the person. Perhaps he or she holds irrational
beliefs such as, “If my partner does not want me, no one will,” or “I
am a complete failure for losing this relationship.” The assumption is that
the patient’s extreme, negative thinking is contributing to the depression.
The therapist will challenge these beliefs and help the patient substitute a
more rational perspective; for example, “Just because one person left me
does not mean that the next person will,” and “Even if this relationship
ended, it does not mean that I am a failure in everything I do.”
Cognitive therapy has some similarity to behavior therapy. There is a focus
on the present, history-taking is selective and related to the presenting
problem, and homework assignments are routine. Indeed, because the two
approaches have many things in common, many therapists use both forms
of treatment and refer to themselves as cognitive-behavioral therapists.