Counseling is one of the most comprehensive therapeutic techniques to save many lives. I have found counseling particularly fulfilling in my line of study, considering that it provides room for extensive research into what may be troubling a person. The application of counseling theories on various platforms must be carefully evaluated not to bring more harm to patients than benefits.
Some counseling theories may try to deviate from the moral goal of counseling, which primarily involves administering to the needs of the patients. Nevertheless, it has to be applied comprehensively to ensure that it works beyond acceptable limits. Engaging patients must be a cognitive process devoid of any manipulative techniques used these days by doctors from various sectors (Furukawa et al.). In cases where the therapeutic need for counseling goes beyond the appropriate solution required, it is essential to introduce other mechanisms.
My personal view supports cognitive behavioral therapy. Although widely applied, I find it personally appealing because it can be used to bring the solution to several problems that emanate from a wide range of sources not necessarily associated with one type of illness. At one point in my career, I used cognitive behavioral therapy to treat my clients. The patient was 55 years old and had failed memory, mostly during conversations. She would mostly forget or slip in many conversations; however, after using cognitive therapy, I stabilized her memory after a few counseling sessions. In most cases, cognitive behavioral therapy assists in handling cases of patients with Alzheimer’s.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a therapeutic process applied to treat psychological problems. The method has been used to treat anxiety disorders, eating disorders, drug problems, severe mental illness, marital issues, depression, and many other problems (Wergeland et al.). Several studies indicate that this treatment method has received several successful cases over the years. Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on three frameworks; where the first suggests that psychological problems arise from how people think, some people believe abnormally and yet are unaware that they may have psychological issues.
I advocate for this treatment, especially for this category of people, because it tends to explore more about the human brain and how it operates, thus exposing patterns that might have been formed in the brain. Similarly, cognitive behavioral therapy is used in cases where the brain adopts unhelpful patterns. In such cases, the victims may not be aware that their brain system adopted a given pattern, but it is identified in their behavior and how they carry it out.
The final group deals with a particular group of individuals where the brain is subjected to abnormal cases and, over time, learns how to cope with such patterns. This is quite dangerous to the person who promotes how the brain operates and how it should perform. Thus, the brain operation system needs a comprehensive key to help it cope with the prevailing situation. These coping mechanisms are brought about through cognitive behavioral therapy.
The key concepts of my approach are to apply the therapy itself and communicate with patients during breaks between sessions for maximum effectiveness. It helps to consolidate the success achieved during the sessions and improve contact with patients. My role as a consul is essential to the patient as it performs basic client support tasks. Primarily, I help patients set the right goals before the session to spend time efficiently. Moreover, I provide support in case one is confused or does not understand what goals should be next. I inform clients on all issues of interest and discuss progress or regression with them.
Therapeutic goals are to make progress as soon as possible, and relationship issues are formulated by setting the proper contact with patients. Finally, the central techniques include active listening and participation and methods for recording thoughts and actions (Beck 27). These methods are important because they stimulate a response in the patient that generates interest and a high level of involvement. In other words, it encourages patients to be motivated to complete all the tasks scheduled for a certain period.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has long been used to treat various behavioral disorders brought about by substance abuse. Its success in this field is framed based on its three core principle (Furukawa et al.). It can be applied to remove learned unhelpful patterns, it can be used to draw ways that have been developed over time, and essentially, the brain creates a mechanism to help remove the challenges arising from such situations.
It can equally be used to remove unhealthy thought processes that have been induced through the abuse of the substance. This is the best technique proven to be effective in eliminating many psychological problems. Its solutions are based on a framework where a person’s distorted thinking can be obliterated by exposing the person to reality (Wergeland et al.). The cogitative behavioral technique easily applies the mechanisms by helping the counselor better understand the problem faced by the individual. Hence, upon using these cognitive skills, the counselor can remove any problems from that person. It is equally important to note that introducing to use of problem-solving skills to cope with its problems is a concept that is widely applied in cognitive behavioral therapy. I helped my friend using cognitive behavioral therapy, who had suffered years of marital problems, thus leading to depression.
The application of cognitive behavioral therapy is quite fulfilling because, at the end of the client’s counseling session, the client is expected to heal fully from the impending problem that might have been disturbing them. The counselor can open dark things within the individual’s thinking process by applying role-playing as a critical technique for engaging with the patient. It is thus fulfilling to imagine situations where these clients can be relieved by assuming they occupy the best moment of their lives through the therapeutic moment. Having seen the number of patients that recover from depression due to cognitive behavioral therapy, I feel that it is the best therapeutic approach to a number of patients’ psychological problems.
The main reason for choosing this therapy is because it greatly appeals to my counseling orientation which is quite direct and precise. One advantage of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it helps the patient overcome problems independently. At times they instill capabilities within the patient that transforms their life for the better. Patients can exercise their mind’s abilities and strengths without involving the counselor. These are some of the strengths of this technique and why the reason instrumental in overcoming societal problems (Wergeland et al.). It is equally important to note that these therapeutic sessions tend to explore more what is going on with the patient’s life rather than what made them in such a position. I find this particularly fulfilling under all dimensions because of a case in which a drug addict was brought in at our hospital and after a number of cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, one demonstrated significant progress.
As a future counselor, I feel that this is the method that doctors should use and widely apply because it offers a lot of healing and, significantly, fulfillment. It is, therefore important to note that these processes are essential to the whole system. Although doctors can use other therapies to treat various illnesses, especially those emanating from psychological operations, I suppose that applying this method comprehensively will help reduce the impending problems that have seen many people commit suicide. I will continually advocate for this method since, at one time I used it to overcome my own emotional fears.
I support a comprehensive system where the patient’s whole life is reviewed to ensure they are fully healed. Introducing the patients to self-therapy is a win for me in any treatment. They usually think if they can employ their psychological processes to overcome challenges. CBT has a direct recovery rate, especially concerning its application to patients’ progress. It helps remove various difficulties, mainly when complex theories cannot be applied to solve the problem. Conclusively, cognitive behavioral therapy is among the best counseling approaches that any practitioner can use to treat patients with memory relapses.
Works Cited
Beck, Judith. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Third Edition: Basics and Beyond. Guilford Publications, 2020.
Furukawa, Toshi A. et al. “Dismantling, Personalising and Optimising Internet Cognitive–Behavioural Therapy for Depression: A Study Protocol for Individual Participant Data Component Network Meta-Analysis.” BMJ Open, vol. 8, no. 11, 2018.
Wergeland, Gro J. et al. “Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Internalizing Disorders in Children and Adolescents in Routine Clinical Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 83, 2021.