Problems in conceptualization within cognitive therapy: an illustrative case study

✍ Scribed by Lucy A. Henry; Ruth M. Williams

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 154 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1063-3995
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0879(199709)4:3<201::aid-cpp133>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

This paper discusses problems in case conceptualization in Cognitive Therapy, particularly in relation to the concept of a core belief'. It is argued that this concept is ill-defined and that its ambiguity can create problems for the clinician. Changes in core beliefs should be associated with the most therapeutic leverage, thus it becomes vital to have reliable ways of identifying them. An illustrative case example is presented of the treatment of a young woman for depression. In our formulation, she held a number of self-referent beliefs which appeared to be differentially responsive to challenge. For example, her doubts about competence at work were much more easily modified than her belief that she was unattractive. This suggested that the latter belief was more central or core' to our client's view of herself. This approach, together with the charting of how modification of beliefs was related to the alleviation of depression, was taken in the current paper in order to highlight the need for clinical tools to aid conceptualization in distinguishing between core and peripheral processes.