Group Therapy using Cognitive Behavioral Theory
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is one of the approaches used in psychotherapeutic treatment of various conditions. CBT uses an emotional cognizance process in which therapists help patience to understand the psychological influences on their behavior. During treatment, patients are taught how to identify destructive thought patterns. They are then equipped with tools that aid them in breaking bad patterns of thought and developing positive thought and will power.
Group therapy is a common form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a group of patients at the same time. Group therapy denotes any form of therapy which is delivered in a group format. The group dynamics are important for the therapy process, the group context and the interpersonal relationships in the group help members during the therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is efficient when used in group therapy sessions. In a broader context, group therapy can include one or all of the following, skills training groups, support groups and psycho-education groups. In recent times, expressive forms of group therapy have become popular. Art in the forms of dance and music has been used effectively in group therapeutic processes (Brown, 2012).
According to Hunter et al (2012), group therapy is very effective in the treatment of substance abuse and depression both of which are related health conditions. This is group members can support and encourage each other within the group. Group members can also serve as role models for other struggling members within the group. Therapists are able to conduct therapy sessions for patients at the same time. This approach to treatment is cost effective and allows the therapist to analyze the behavior of each patient in a social context. This assessment provides invaluable feedback on the progress of patients and allows therapists to decide additional interventions to help the patient recover.
Substance abuse is one of the psychological conditions treated within group therapy sessions. The benefits of group therapy are particularly beneficial to drug addicts because they need a stronger support system to overcome their addiction. Tasca et al (2011) acknowledges that therapists record better results in group sessions as opposed to other individualized treatment approaches. During group sessions, therapists are able to understand the underlying behavioral patterns for each addict and use this information to create a comprehensive approach to treatment. Participants are also able to open up to the therapist since they are in the company of fellow substance abusers. The camaraderie that develops out of these group therapy sessions enables individuals to support each other to recovery.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used in the treatment of maladaptive conduct and dysfunctional emotional development among patients. Drug abuse is one of the psychological expressions of behavioral deficits. Drug abuse among the youth is constantly on the rise due to negative influence and weaker social support systems. Many young people have dysfunctional social figures as their role models. Parents and older relatives are no longer able to provide the example needed by the impressionable young minds.
Group therapy can be used to deal with substance abuse among the adolescents. The altruism that is established within groups helps the young to open up and allow therapists help them. Substance abuse among adolescents can also be treated through individual and group therapy sessions. Individual therapy is necessary for understanding the environmental and social context in which the adolescent patient lives in. Group therapy is used to build a support system in which the patient can rely on during treatment (Brown, 2012). The universality of group sessions helps adolescents to understand the nature of their condition, raise their self-esteem and create willingness to achieve wellness.
According to a study conducted by Ogel & Cosksun (2011), group therapy helped to reduce the level of recurrent drug abuse among the youth. When group therapy was used in combination with psycho-education, only 38% of the patients had a relapse. During the study, a sample of patients was treated within groups but without education. The overall group result was poorer than the group with education. Out of the second group, 58% reverted to their habit of substance abuse. Only 42% of the young patients in the study have a permanent recovery. This statistic shows that the efficiency of group therapy can be enhanced through education of the group under treatment. Knowledge is power, when individuals are empowered with relevant information on their condition; they are able to manage their behavior better. In the absence of education, individuals are only equipped with skills to cope with drug abuse without the understanding of the factors that trigger the urge to use. This study demonstrates that a combination of group therapy and psycho-education is important for the effective treatment of volatile substance abuse among the youth (Ogel & Coskun 2011).
Depression is one of the conditions associated with substances abuse. The two psychological conditions are symbiotic in nature. Drug abuse can lead to depression; conversely, depression can cause an individual to resort to drug abuse. Depression has been identified by many substance abuse patients as one of the justification of their habit. Depresses individuals are often seeking ways to escape their reality. Some resort to extreme measures such as suicide while other use escapist strategies like drug abuse.
Group therapy and CBT can be used to deal with individuals suffering from depression while dealing with substance abuse. Group therapy for depressed individuals helps them eliminate a sense of isolation and build the notion that problems are common to man. CBT helps group members to recognize the relationship between depression and substance abuse and understand how both conditions are influencing negative behavior in their lives (Hunter et al 2012). Patients facing depression and substance abuse require special attention from therapists. This is because if either of the conditions is not dealt with conclusively, the possibility of a relapse is very high. The greatest challenge for therapists is to find the root cause of depression which is often in their personal life of the patient. A therapist may not be able to improve the financial situation of a patient or improve a dysfunctional family. All a therapist can do is to equip the patient with coping mechanisms which will empower them to deal with their personal circumstances.
CBT has been adopted for other multidimensional areas of therapy. Behavioral couples’s therapy (BCT) is an adaptation of CBT for purposes of relationship therapy. BCT is necessary because of the nature of intimate relationships. Couples in all levels of relationships are faced with both individual and collective problems which often wind up on the collective relationship table. Therapists have to understand the individual partners before addressing their issues as a couple. This is the challenge that therapists face while dealing with intimate partner violence.
Intimate partner violence occurs within the confines of intimate relationships. Violence is common among coupled because emotional upheavals and drug abuse and financial woes. Alcoholism is one form of drug abuse that is responsible for many cases of intimate partner abuse (Ball, 2007). Alcohol and the resultant drunkenness impair judgment and escalate seemingly simple situations into potentially violent situations. Apart from substance abuse, a history of violence within the family is also responsible for violence among adults. Children copy violent traits from their parents. When children are exposed to violence within the family, they are more likely to become violent in their adulthood.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to treat violence among couples. Therapists have to get to the root of the problem before attempting to understand the root cause of violence. Where alcoholism and drug abuse is identified as one of the problems, the therapist has to treat it before attempting to prevent couple violence. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps couples to understand their physical and emotional contribution to the relationship and how their action could be contributing to violence. The therapist can use a combination of individual couple therapy and group couple therapy to intimate couple violence.
CBT and group therapy are psychotherapeutic tools available to therapists to deal with a wide range of psychological conditions. Depression, drug abuse and intimate partner violence are some of the health conditions effectively treated using both approaches. A combination of CBT and group therapy produces good results because both methods create a holistic approach to treatment. Psycho-education also increases the success rate of group therapy. These therapies can be used for all age groups from adolescents, the youth to mature couples.
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