Topic: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: The Basics of Helping People Get Better
Place: Ramada Inn and Conference Center, Parsippany, New Jersey
Date: July 25, 2007
Time: 8:00am to 3:30pm
Presented by: Aldo R. Pucci, MA, DCBT

By Berenice S. La Motta, LSW – PCCK Staff Counselor

This was a wonderful seminar!   It presented the philosophy and techniques of Rational Living Therapy which is a type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  Since the meaning of the word “cognitive” is “thinking”, the focus of CBT is based on how people think and helps them to think in ways that makes them feel the way they want to feel and to achieve their goals. The main idea is to help people to get what they want rather than what they think is possible.  CBT is a type of short-term therapy that produces long-term results because it teaches clients rational self-counseling that can be applied not only to their present concerns but also to any situation that may come their way.  The focus of its techniques emphasizes getting better rather than feeling better.

Some important aspects of CBT were discussed and applied to real life problems as they are perceived by people:
- Cognitive-Emotive Dissonance: the idea that our thoughts cause our problems and our behaviors.
- Sources of resistance: identification of practical and emotional problems.
- Grieving: distinction between the grieving process and feelings towards the loved one.
- Focus on the present: it is not the past that creates misery in people’s lives but what we think about it.
- Marital Therapy: focus is on the present, not on what happened 20 years ago.
- Group work: approach is directive helping clients to define what they want and how to do things .based on what they want.
- Substance Abusers: definition of goals and ways to accomplish them.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy makes the use of homework assignments in order to work with the client’s way of thinking, what he/she knows and what paths are needed in order to work with the emotions around their goals. I find the systematic approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy very useful in any therapeutic situation.  It provides tools to address different issues with a very clear and direct perspective presenting reassurance to the client that he/she can plan and make changes in their lives.

One aspect that I would add to this and to any other therapeutic approach is a biblical perspective to the issues being addressed in the counseling setting.  It would help clients even more to place their thoughts and emotions in the hands of the Lord who can work in people’s lives in ways that cannot be predicted and that just leads us to a state of awe!