Psychology and Cognitive Behavior Therapy - Essay Example

Running Head: ABBREVIATED OF YOUR CHOICE (all caps) and Section # of Psychology An introduction to cognitive behavior therapy The essence of cognitive behavior therapy, as the name suggests, is the combination of the cognitive and behavior aspect of psychological therapy. This therapy involves the application of social learning theories such as observation and imitation combined with behavior modeling and reinforcement theories. CBT has been used to cure problems relating to emotional dysfunction, anxiety, personality problems and psychotic disorders. While cognitive therapies are related to ones mental processes in terms of thoughts, beliefs and assumptions, behavioral therapy focuses on the behavior which is a result of various factors. Cognitive therapy helps in changing and reconstructing faulty thought processes while shaping them into a more organized form and behavioral therapy helps in modifying and improving an individuals problematic behaviors and actions. Together, the task of the therapy is to understand the interrelation and the workings of emotions, behaviors and thoughts as well as the impact that these components may have over the events in an individuals life. The main purpose of cognitive therapy is to enable the person to be aware of the thought pattern that is resulting into psychological distress and also the behavior that is reinforcing the distress. It aims to correct the psychological problems through giving an entire outlook to the causes of distress. CBT understands the thoughts and experiences of the person and works with the person in getting to the depth of the problem. (Whitfield & Davidson, 2007) Some criticisms of CBT are related to the view that merely telling the client that something is not true is not likely to make the person feel that way. This would not necessarily change the belief that a person has. However, counter arguments show that CBT psychologists do not just tell the person that a certain view is wrong; they help the client explore these themselves. Dissociative Disorder There is a new perspective in the idea of dissociative disorder after the 1980s, after which the condition received more theoretical as well as clinical attention from psychologists and psychiatrists. Dissociative disorders can be described as conditions that involve breakdown of ones perception of his or her surroundings, identity, memory or consciousness. According to the American Psychiatric Associations DSM VI, there are four forms of dissociative disorders including dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder (Formerly called multiple personality disorder), dissociative fugue and depersonalization disorder. Dissociative amnesia is a memory disorder that occurs when it is difficult for a person to remember important information as a result of a trauma or chronic psychological stress. It results in a person forgetting information such as his or her name, address, family and it results in memory gaps. Dissociative identity disorder is a condition which causes a person to experience two or more identities that have a distinct pattern of behavior and interaction with the environment. This disorder involves the control of two or more personalities taking control from time to time associated with a memory loss and inability to remember basic information. Dissociate fugue is a rare state in which an individual travels somewhere and upon arrival is unable to remember his or her past. Sometimes the travel is followed by the establishment of a new identity all together. The cause of travel is normally due to psychological stress and upon return the person is unable to remember what happened during the fugue state. (Sharon, 2010) Depersonalization disorder normally occurs to people who are facing other disorders and is pertinent through feelings of detachment and estrangement from ones mental processes and body. The person facing this disorder seem separated from his own self and feel as if they are living in a dream. Anxiety and depression become frequent. Depersonalization disorder often results from traumatic experiences and events such as childhood abuse, accidents and torture. Does offender profiling work Criminal profiling can be describes as a tool that uses behavioral and investigative approach to help investigators in profiling criminal offenders. With the help pf social and psychological assessment of the offender, the belongings of the offender and psychological interview of the offender, it is easier to investigate the criminals more efficiently. Profiling is often regarded as a combination of psychological insight, brainstorming, intuition and educated guesswork. Psychology is a form of science whereby psychologists follow scientific methodologies to understand, explain and modify human behavior. There are a number of aspects of personality that lead to the choices and actions of a criminal, this information is gathered and combined with physical evidence, personality traits and mental fitness, the practitioners evaluate the offenders. There is an ongoing debate over the validity and effectiveness of offender profiling. It is argued that profiling lacks the creation and testing of a hypothesis which is the core element of psychological research, instead it follows upon the creation of theories based on vistis to crimes scenes, evidence analysis and interviews with offenders. While, this data is valuable, there is less science attached to this form of information gathering. Moreover, the accuracy of the information collected from the offenders is questionable as the information from the offenders requires them to recall without any bias which is often an unlikely situation. (Winerman, 2004) However, the drawing of an offender profile aids the narrowing down of the suspects and saves time of investigation. If a certain suspect does not match the offender profile, the police may not spend time pursuing that suspect, while a suspect that fits the profile may be investigated more rigorously. The advise of the profiling in terms of the sort of interviews that should be conducted is also helpful. Overall, if nothing else, offender profile at least gives the investigators a good starting point and makes the process easier and more effective. Counseling Psychology This is a psychological specialty which includes counseling process, supervision, career counseling, training, and prevention and health. It aims to provide therapeutic treatments to people facing psychological disorders and symptoms. It focuses on the integration of theory; research and practice in the improvement of the well being of individuals while relieving stress, solve mental problems, and help them live a more functional life. The emphasis is not just over development issues but also over issues related with physical, mental and emotional disorders. There are a number of different services that are offered by counseling psychologists including psychotherapy, research, vocational counseling, supervision and others. The interventions may vary in time span with respect to their nature. They may be goal-specific or problem specific. The underlying philosophy is that individuals are different and diverse and there is focus upon prevention and development across the lifespan. Counseling psychologists serve all kinds of people. People from all age groups can seek help from counseling psychologists, be it career counseling or emotional distress. Although there are many similarities between counseling psychology and clinical psychology, one basic difference is that while clinical psychologists serve clients that are facing more sever mental illnesses, counseling psychologists cater to those individuals that are undergoing less severe psychological problems. Moreover, while the clinical approach follows a more medical perspective, counseling is generalized and more focused upon psychotherapy. References Winerman, L. (2004). Does Profiling Really Work?. American Psychological Association, vol 35. 65. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/profiling.aspx Whitfield, G. & Davidson, A. (2007). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Explained. Radcliffe Publishing. Sharon, I. (2010). Dissociative Disorders Etiology and Introduction. Medscape Reference. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/294508-overview#a30 Read More