Cognitive behavioral therapy has been described, analyzed and evaluated over the last fifteen years. Cognitive-behavioral theories and treatments are defined and elaborated on (Eifert & Plaud, 1993).
Cognitive therapy views the personality as based on cognitive structures and shaped by central values or core beliefs, called schemas, that develop early in life as a result of environmental factors, and are unique to each individual. Schemata are defined as mental structures that help organize past experiences; they range from concrete to abstract and operate interactively with one another. Data is accumulated, coded, categorized, and evaluated by schemas. Cognitions are defined as those processes that encompass the organization of sensory input, and the initiation of behavior (Freeman & Dattilio, 1992; Freeman, Simon, Beutler & Arkowitz, 1989; Hoffmann, 1984).
Schemas, or complex patterns of thoughts determine how experiences are perceived and conceptualized, and are employed in the absence of data; therefore, schemas tend to reinforce preconceived ideas. Psychological problems are viewed as stemming from faulty learning, incorrect inferences based on inadequate or incorrect information, and the lack of adequate distinction between imagination and reality. Fallacious thinking, or cognitive distortions, contribute to the feedback loops that support psychological disorders (Freeman & Dattilio, 1992; Freeman, Simon, Beutler & Arkowitz, 1989).
Cognitive therapy uses a learning model of psychotherapy, and is based on a collaborative relationship between the therapist and the patient. The therapist provides techniques specific to targeted symptoms, providing a rationale for each used. Understanding and participation in therapy is encouraged as is the reinforcement of learning new paradigms. The patient acts as an active co-investigator providing the data to be examined. Both therapist and patient decide on therapeutic go...