Page 57 - Part A

Counselling Skills

From his studies, Beck concluded that if people spent time thinking these negative
thoughts, it would lead to people believing them. In response, he began to help clients
to re-evaluate these thoughts and think more realistically, leading to improvements in
emotions and behaviour.

According to Beck, successful interventions can educate a person to recognise and
be aware of their distorted thinking and challenge its effects. Today, this approach is
known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

This cognitive approach to counselling is based on the belief that learning comes from
personal experience. The counselling relationship will focus on a client’s ability to accept
behaviour, clarify problems and difficulties, and understand the reasoning behind
the importance of setting goals. With the help of self-management training, assertive
exercises and role playing, the counsellor can help a client work towards goals.

CBT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
as a useful therapy for people with mental health conditions such as depression,
anxiety, eating disorders and phobias.

Key elements of CBT

The key elements are as follows:

• Emotional or behavioural problems are the consequences of incorrectly
learned patterns of thought and behaviour

• CBT aims to help a person to change their thoughts and behaviour by
learning new patterns

• CBT aims to help the person learn decision making and problem solving
skills in order to develop new patterns of thinking and behaviour
• Faulty thought patterns are based on false logic and irrational thinking. So
CBT aims to help the person challenge their irrational thoughts and replace
them with rational ones.

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