CBT TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
in BA, what is guided activation? - Answer-- this is the use of a series of behavior
change strategies developed by the therapist and client together to carefully examine
what activities will be reinforcing for the client and help disrupt the relationships that are
maintaining the depression
should you be enthusiastic if the client is doing better? why or why not? - Answer-Even
if client is doing better, you need to be really neutral in your enthusiasm because they
won't want to let you down so they won't tell you the truth when you're not doing well
when first interviewing client, what are the 3 things you want to know about symptoms?
- Answer-INTENSITY, FREQUENCY, AND DURATION
- you want exact times, exact numbers, exact definitions
- be careful about filling in the blanks!
~ for example, use the SUDS scale (subjective units of distress scale) so lay out a
scale like 1-10 and have them rate it so this way you have a baseline to compare future
weeks with (i.e. where are you on your suds scale)
what is GAD? why do these people usually have depressive symptoms? - Answer-
difficulty controlling excessive worry which is why you see people with anxiety have
depression or depressive symptoms bc THEY FEEL LIKE THE CANNOT CONTROL IT
what does acceptance mean in mindfulness? - Answer-acceptance doesn't mean youre
getting over it but you're acknowledging that it truly happened and youre ready to deal
with it
what should you be looking for if a client has anxiety? - Answer-COMORBIDITY WITH
OTHER DISORDERS!
- you're likely going to be looking for another disorder in terms of anxiety... there's a lot
of comorbidity with anxiety
what does CBT protocol usually look like (i.e. duration, etc) - Answer-CBT is designed
to be brief and solution oriented - when you're done and reach the goal, you're done!
- But in terms of number of sessions, be optimistic but be FLEXIBLE even if it's not in
protocol...
how does mindfulness work in treating anxiety? - Answer-We want to promote
ACCEPTANCE into our internal experienceS
, - so much that happens with anxiety is physiological so this acceptance really combats
catastrophizing which increases all of your physiological anxiety responses and makes
everything worse which is how we get into panic attacks
- so instead of suppressing thoughts and fears, accepting it will help change those
interpretations and not catastrophizing that you're heart is racing instead of saying youre
having a heart attack... I have a stomach ache and accept it
- it doesn't mean it doesn't suck or that it has to go away but that you're ACCEPTING it
as a therapist, what should you focus on when treating a client with anxiety issues? -
Answer-the FUNCTION of their worry
- there is a FUNCTION for this worry and you have to figure out what it is
- basically, we're reinforced for learning bc with worrying, it's like mental rehearsal
(which helps us remember stuff) so worrying helps us remember stuff
- having a mental checklist can cause anxiety bc if you don't practice this mental
checklist and you forget something it triggers worry
- SO we need to figure out what the FUNCTION of that worry is so we can challenge it
bc that person will never be able to get passed it unless that person can prove to
themselves that, without it, they're better off or they're going to contribute to do it
why is cultural sensitivity in therapy important? - Answer-Barlow also talks about cultural
sensitivity which is extremely important bc something that's maladaptive to us may be
perfectly normal in a clients culture and if we don't know that, we lose them
- so figure out values of the client early on bc if you fill in the blank incorrectly you're
going to push them out
what is a component of self compassion? - Answer-MINDFULNESS
what is mindfulness? what are the 2 components? - Answer-- Paying attention to the
present moment on purpose
- Without judgment
~ so it doesn't mean it's right or wrong or positive or negative... you're not labeling it... it
is what it is
~ think of the example of having a stomach ache... it's not just being aware like oh I
have a stomach ache and I know it and I want it to go away... instead being mindful
would be okay I have this stomach ache maybe bc I have food poisoning and I'm just
going to let it play out
NOTE: Apply these things to your life!! Anxiety symptoms, grief, end of a relationship,
etc... you should be able to feel that grief and accept it without trying to change it so you
can move on
what is the opposite of mindfulness? - Answer-MULTITASKING!
- which is why our culture has a problem with being mindful... we're very absent minded
and distracted and busy
(NOTE: The rise in ADHD might even have to do with lack of mindfulness)
in BA, what is guided activation? - Answer-- this is the use of a series of behavior
change strategies developed by the therapist and client together to carefully examine
what activities will be reinforcing for the client and help disrupt the relationships that are
maintaining the depression
should you be enthusiastic if the client is doing better? why or why not? - Answer-Even
if client is doing better, you need to be really neutral in your enthusiasm because they
won't want to let you down so they won't tell you the truth when you're not doing well
when first interviewing client, what are the 3 things you want to know about symptoms?
- Answer-INTENSITY, FREQUENCY, AND DURATION
- you want exact times, exact numbers, exact definitions
- be careful about filling in the blanks!
~ for example, use the SUDS scale (subjective units of distress scale) so lay out a
scale like 1-10 and have them rate it so this way you have a baseline to compare future
weeks with (i.e. where are you on your suds scale)
what is GAD? why do these people usually have depressive symptoms? - Answer-
difficulty controlling excessive worry which is why you see people with anxiety have
depression or depressive symptoms bc THEY FEEL LIKE THE CANNOT CONTROL IT
what does acceptance mean in mindfulness? - Answer-acceptance doesn't mean youre
getting over it but you're acknowledging that it truly happened and youre ready to deal
with it
what should you be looking for if a client has anxiety? - Answer-COMORBIDITY WITH
OTHER DISORDERS!
- you're likely going to be looking for another disorder in terms of anxiety... there's a lot
of comorbidity with anxiety
what does CBT protocol usually look like (i.e. duration, etc) - Answer-CBT is designed
to be brief and solution oriented - when you're done and reach the goal, you're done!
- But in terms of number of sessions, be optimistic but be FLEXIBLE even if it's not in
protocol...
how does mindfulness work in treating anxiety? - Answer-We want to promote
ACCEPTANCE into our internal experienceS
, - so much that happens with anxiety is physiological so this acceptance really combats
catastrophizing which increases all of your physiological anxiety responses and makes
everything worse which is how we get into panic attacks
- so instead of suppressing thoughts and fears, accepting it will help change those
interpretations and not catastrophizing that you're heart is racing instead of saying youre
having a heart attack... I have a stomach ache and accept it
- it doesn't mean it doesn't suck or that it has to go away but that you're ACCEPTING it
as a therapist, what should you focus on when treating a client with anxiety issues? -
Answer-the FUNCTION of their worry
- there is a FUNCTION for this worry and you have to figure out what it is
- basically, we're reinforced for learning bc with worrying, it's like mental rehearsal
(which helps us remember stuff) so worrying helps us remember stuff
- having a mental checklist can cause anxiety bc if you don't practice this mental
checklist and you forget something it triggers worry
- SO we need to figure out what the FUNCTION of that worry is so we can challenge it
bc that person will never be able to get passed it unless that person can prove to
themselves that, without it, they're better off or they're going to contribute to do it
why is cultural sensitivity in therapy important? - Answer-Barlow also talks about cultural
sensitivity which is extremely important bc something that's maladaptive to us may be
perfectly normal in a clients culture and if we don't know that, we lose them
- so figure out values of the client early on bc if you fill in the blank incorrectly you're
going to push them out
what is a component of self compassion? - Answer-MINDFULNESS
what is mindfulness? what are the 2 components? - Answer-- Paying attention to the
present moment on purpose
- Without judgment
~ so it doesn't mean it's right or wrong or positive or negative... you're not labeling it... it
is what it is
~ think of the example of having a stomach ache... it's not just being aware like oh I
have a stomach ache and I know it and I want it to go away... instead being mindful
would be okay I have this stomach ache maybe bc I have food poisoning and I'm just
going to let it play out
NOTE: Apply these things to your life!! Anxiety symptoms, grief, end of a relationship,
etc... you should be able to feel that grief and accept it without trying to change it so you
can move on
what is the opposite of mindfulness? - Answer-MULTITASKING!
- which is why our culture has a problem with being mindful... we're very absent minded
and distracted and busy
(NOTE: The rise in ADHD might even have to do with lack of mindfulness)
