Cognitive therapy: Self-observation
Cognitive therapy is used to help patients transform their way of thinking, to no longer interpret the situation in a dysfunctional way. For example, upon seeing a dog, the patient immediately thinks that the dog will bite him. The objective of these sessions is to change the way of thinking.
The main thing to remember
- The Camille AI assistant accompanies the patient without judgment, like a trusted person.
- When faced with an anxiety-provoking situation, dysfunctional thoughts trigger the protective system that is anxiety.
- The first step in cognitive therapy is self-observation: identifying your anxious thoughts.
- Cognitive therapy takes place in 3 sessions: self-observation, detective, then generating a realistic interpretation.
1. How does it work?
In a very specific situation, for example for people suffering from cynophobia, the patient when he sees the dog will immediately think that it is going to bite him. Dysfunctional thoughts will invade the patient at the time of the situation and will trigger the protection system which is anxiety. It is due to an erroneous interpretation of the person who believed they were in danger. Her protection mechanism is activated because she considers herself to be in danger. The goal of cognitive therapy is to help them through 3 stages.
In this article, we will see the first step which consists of finding a more realistic and more balanced point of view of the situation. The idea is to help patients regain healthier thoughts. For example: The dog will come, he will sniff me and he will leave.
2. The first step
The first step in cognitive therapy (cognitive restructuring) is to become aware of your thoughts when you are anxious during the situation, the goal being to be an observer of yourself. When the patient is in a situation that causes anxiety, he must ask himself the question: I'm afraid what will happen?
Ideally, to properly formulate thoughts of disaster, it is useful to formulate sentences conjugated in the near future of the indicative. For example: I'm going to lose my job, my children are going to be sick. This is the first step in cognitive therapy. If we want to change our thoughts, we must first identify them. Generally, this is done during the second session.
Once patients have understood and identified their thoughts, you must reassure them. Your patients have been maintaining this habit for years and are not necessarily aware that it precedes anxiety. Their mission is to become aware of this.
3. The course of cognitive therapy sessions
Cognitive therapy must be divided into 3 sessions to allow patients to fully absorb it.
- 1 session: Self-observation,
- 2nd session: The detective
- 3rd session: Generate a realistic interpretation
Discover the method of Gray's neurobiological model and Beck's cognitive model.
C2Care, a leader in immersive technologies for mental health
Create your free account to explore over 250 virtual reality exposure situations and subscribe directly online.
Cognitive Therapy and Virtual Reality FAQs
What is dysfunctional thinking in cognitive therapy?
Dysfunctional thinking is a misinterpretation of a situation, perceived as dangerous when it is not. It invades the patient at the time of exposure and triggers the anxiety protection mechanism. Formulating it in the near future helps to clearly identify it.
What is the role of the Camille AI assistant during therapy?
The Camille AI assistant accompanies the patient without judgment during exposures. It represents a trusted person in whom the patient can confide, in addition to the virtual characters present in the scenes.
When does the practitioner identify the patient's thoughts?
Identifying catastrophic thoughts usually takes place during the second session. The patient formulates his thoughts in the near future indicative, for example I am going to lose my job, in order to make them explicit before modifying them.
How to reassure a patient after identifying their anxious thoughts?
The practitioner explains that these thoughts are part of an old habit, often unconscious, which precedes anxiety. Becoming aware of this mechanism constitutes the patient's mission before tackling the following stages of cognitive therapy.
What theoretical models complete this stage of cognitive therapy?
This first step can be further explored with Gray's neurobiological model and Beck's cognitive model. These models shed light on the mechanisms of anxiety and support the cognitive restructuring work undertaken during self-observation.
Why should the patient ask himself what exactly he fears?
This question helps the patient become an observer of their own thoughts during an anxiety-provoking situation. It allows you to precisely identify the underlying catastrophic thinking, before questioning it in the following sessions.
Author
C2Care
Related articles
Cognitive distortions
Every day we must understand the reality around us. All our psychological processes will be activated in the context of different situations: whether decision-making processes, emotions, understanding, evaluation... But these processes can be erroneous and limited by cognitive distortions.
Beck's cognitive model
Beck's cognitive model is taught in the second session as part of the treatment of anxiety disorders (OCD, phobia). These sessions are often practiced in groups with the aim of involving patients. Our brain works like a computer processor, its main function is data processing: it constantly processes sensory information.
Slogans: Positive self-instructions
Slogans are short, punchy, understandable and clear sentences that are repeated. But what exactly are slogans for? This is a good introductory question to ask your patients.
Mindfulness meditation
When we are overwhelmed by our thoughts, mindfulness meditation is a breath of fresh air to find our bearings.
Barlow's etiological model
Barlow's etiological model presents itself during the second group therapy session. This model explains the causes of phobias, anxiety, OCD, etc. According to this model, there may be a hereditary biological vulnerability, that is to say a sensitivity to anxiety which is transmitted by parents. This sensitivity has advantages, it allows us to be sensitive to the environment and the people around us. This can be an advantage in human care (nurses, caregivers, psychologists), with animals (veterinarians) but also at the artistic level. Artists are often anxious people but also sensitive to the environment and this sensitivity is very useful in the creative world.
Gray's neurobiological model
Psychoeducation is done during the first group therapy session and consists of explaining the models of anxiety for patients: phobic, who have OCD, or who have generalized anxiety disorders. The models help explain the causes and mechanisms of anxiety, the goal is to help patients understand what is happening in their brains. Ignorance leads to fear. During group therapy, it is important to establish dialogue with patients and to establish an exchange; give patients the opportunity to participate as often as possible. In this article we will see Gray's neurobiological model and its implication in anxiety, phobias and OCD.