Nat'l Counseling Awareness Month-CBT, Humanistic, and Integrative-Holistic Therapies

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Nat'l Counseling Awareness Month-CBT, Humanistic, and Integrative-Holistic Therapies
Thursday, April 22, 2021 by Renee D. Warring

April is National Counseling Awareness Month. Today I will be discussing what cognitive behavioral, humanistic, and integrative holistic therapies are, and the theories behind them.

Cognitive behavioral Therapy (CBT) rewires the patient’s thoughts by helping them to identify and explore ways their emotions and thoughts can affect their actions. When a pattern is noticed the therapist can reframe the thoughts in a more positive and helpful way. The way in which a person thinks and feels about something can affect what they do. There is a cycle of thoughts and behaviors:

Inaccurate or negative perceptions or thoughts contribute to emotional distress and mental health concerns
These thoughts and the resulting distress sometimes lead to unhelpful or harmful behaviors
Eventually, these thoughts and resulting behaviors can become a pattern that repeats itself
Learning how to address and change these patterns can help deal with problems as they arise, which can help reduce future distress

The goal of these techniques is to replace unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts with more encouraging and realistic ones.

Some of the most popular techniques are: journaling, doing positive activities, and self-talk. The latter is when the therapist asks the patient to tell him or her about a certain experience and challenge him or her to replace negative or critical self-talk with compassionate, constructive self-talk.

CBT can help with the following mental health conditions:

depression
eating disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
anxiety disorders, including panic and phobia
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
schizophrenia
bipolar disorder
substance misuse

There are three approaches to humanistic therapy: (1) Gestalt therapy, (2) client-centered therapy, (3) and existential therapy.

In Gestalt therapy, personal experiences are key, along with describing what you are going through in your own words. It’s based on an underlying theory that unresolved conflicts with others lead to distress. Gestalt therapy provides a state of “safe emergency” where you can explore, in the present moment, the things that are bothering you.

In client-centered therapy, otherwise known as Rogerian therapy, this approach is considered the main type of humanistic therapy. It is based on the belief that absorbing criticism or disapproval from others can distort the way you see yourself. This blocks personal growth and prevents you from living a fulfilling life, which in turn leads to mental distress. The therapist is not judgmental, or in other words he or she accepts you unconditionally.

Existential therapy is more philosophical than the other two. The goal of this approach is to help you understand how your existence- the concept of you as a whole person-affects your unique worldview. The therapist helps you to understand and explore the meaning you give to things that happen in your life. With their guidance, you’ll learn to accept responsibility for the choices you make and realize the freedom you have to make changes that will give your life greater meaning.

Integrative and holistic therapy emphasizes a holistic, patient-focused approach to health care and wellness- often including mental, emotional, functional, spiritual, social, and community aspects-and treating the whole person.

Signed: Renee D. Warring of Uniquely and Wonderfully Made Ministries

RESOURCES:

https://www.healthline.com/health/cognitive-behavioral-therapy

https://www.healthline.com/health/humanistic-therapy

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name#:~:text=It%20emphasizes%20a%20holistic%2C%20patient,for%20example%2C%20one%20organ%20system.

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