CBT Case Conceptualization

[Psych317]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm trying to conceptualize a client from a cognitive-behavioral framework and after referring to countless sources it's getting pretty confusing. Many of the resources I'm using say "cognitive therapy" while some say cognitive-behavioral therapy but still use the term cognitive therapy throughout the source. I understand cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy can be two distinct types of therapies, however, it does not seem like this is clearly explained in many commonly used texts. Apparently, the term cognitive therapy now includes a behavioral component as well? I may be missing something and would love for some insight into this for anyone who has a better understanding. Also, if anyone has any recommendations for constructing a CBT conceptualization (articles are preferred) I would be grateful. Currently, I am using Person's book (The Case Formulation Approach to CBT) but the text is broken down into cognitive theories, learning theories, and emotion theories and I'm struggling to see the CBT part of that. Thanks for any input on this!

 

[docma]

Person's model is well-regarded and pretty straightforward. You might find it more effective to just dive into that and the application to your case, instead of looking more broadly.

I imagine you can find some examples of her model with a websearch if you need guidance in how it is applied. Don't get stuck on behavioral/cognitive too much. The language evolved as the CBT folks developed the idea of public behaviors (observable by others) and private behaviors (cognitions, self-talk, affect) in the move from 1st wave (classical and operant behavioral conditioning) to 2nd wave (CBT, REBT)

The art of the case formulation is in connecting your specific clients thoughts/feelings/behaviors to the model and identifying the patterns/habits/contingencies and where interventions can best promote positive change.