Cognitive Counselling

Cognitive counselling is normally a short term form of counselling, which is structured, and problem orientated. This gives the client a reason or reasons for their emotional disturbance, thoughts and behaviour. The counsellor helps the client to become aware of the automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions and underlying schemata, and will challenge their belief system by using cognitive and behavioural strategies.

What are automatic thoughts?

A person's emotional response to a negative situation is mostly determined by his/her views about that particular situation. These views may be negative thoughts, attitudes and assumptions.

What are cognitive distortions?

These are information processing errors that contribute to emotional disturbance. These would include such things as:

* Labelling - self or others

* Generalisation

* All-or-nothing thinking

* Catastrophic thinking

* Emotional reasoning

* Personalisation and blaming

* Magnification and minimisation

What are Schemata?

These are unspoken rules of life or a person's underlying beliefs which are usually learnt during childhood. If you like it's like an inbuilt template that we all have, a blue print. There are 5 main classifications:

* Cognitive (abstraction, recall and evaluation)

* Control (self monitoring and directing actions)

* Affective (feelings)

* Instrumental (action orientated)

* Motivational (desires and wishes)

Some examples of these are:

A depressed person may say: 'If people don't love me, it means I'm no good.'

An anxious person may say: 'If other people look at me, it is because they are being critical.'

Cognitive counselling differs from psychodynamic counselling as it focuses on the 'here and now'. Therapy is goal orientated. The counsellor and the client agree on goals on their mutual understanding of the client's problem. The session is structured with the emphasis on negotiating and the setting of an agenda. Homework assignments are often given e.g reading self help books.

Cognitive counselling differs from Person centred counselling as it adopts an active and directive role. In other words the counsellor controls the sessions, guiding the client.

Techniques and strategies

There are two main types:

* Behavioural

* Cognitive

Behavioural Strategies

These have a variety of purposes e.g a depressed person may be encouraged to undertake small tasks that previously gave them pleasure or to counteract withdrawal. Relaxation techniques are used to help with anxiety.

Gradual exposure helps clients to face their fears and phobia step by step: e.g a client who has agoraphobia may be encouraged initially to imagine going out doors. Then she may be encouraged to walk outside the back door for a few seconds in real life, followed with more and more gradual exposure. One day she may manage to walk the length of the garden path. Eventually the aim would be for her to walk out in the open. She may be encouraged to take a friend along in the first instance

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