Several of my CBT textbooks dedicate up to 40 pages on how to do the CBT assessment. Fair enough – they provide a comprehensive overview of what to do and details of how to do it. But having entered the chapter and explored its furthest reaches, it’s easy to lose sight of the wood for the sheer number and type of trees around!
I have split this blog about the second CBT session into two parts. This isn’t because I somehow cover an enormous amount of ground in the second session, but because I’m keen to explain what I do carefully, including my scripts, and this will exceed an easy ten minute read. So here’s part 1.
Hopefully, you now have a cup of coffee and a copy of the OCTC (2009) generic longitudinal formulation, available from: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/basicformulation.pdf
The Socratic approach has been shown to promote deeper and more enduring learning than simply receiving instructions. It gently guides the client to enlighten herself with alternative possibilities that have previously been outside her awareness. She is thereby facilitated to discover more realistic and helpful mental frameworks for herself. So what’s not to like?