Cognitive behaviour therapy - KBT

Cognitive behaviour therapy (KBT) is a very important part of mental fulfilment training. In general it deals with thoughts, feeelings and behaviors that creates problems in the context we are in and how we can change this to function more constructively in the environment we choose to develop in.

Important contributions from KBT within MFT

From the moment the sperm penetrates the egg through birth until the point in time where we look upon ourselves we have gone through a long process of learning where we without noticing it have learnt how to think, feel and behave in different ways depending on the environment where we have been. We have, during this long process of learning by the trial and error method, slowly but securely understood how to react in order to get the reward that we wanted in that particular context. The reward is not necessarily a outer object but just as often a feeling inside or a thought that makes us feel good. In this fashion, KBT says, we have developed our thoughts, feelings and behaviors because of the rewards given to us and in the same way can they be altered if the reward system is changed. The ways we once learnt to react was beneficial to us in the context in which they were learnt (most often in interaction with our parents) but do not have to be constructive in the environment we are in presently, on the contrary they might cause problems. If you have thoghts, feelings and behavior that causes you problems you can change them by changing your reward system by going through mental fulfilment training and thereby creating new constructive ways of reacting with higher functionality in the present context. Hawton, K. , Salkovskis, P M., Kirk, J & Clark D M (1989). Cognitive behaviour therapy for psychiatric problems. New York: Oxford university press.

The thoughts, feelings and behavior that create problems for the individual often gives rewards in the shape of desirable emotions at the same time as they make the person a problem to himself and others in the given environment. To create a solution for these reactions the individual needs to be exposed to what is uncomfortable (to be without the desired emotion) and thus change the behavior to become more constructive. Very often the person has a very distorted image of what will happen if he stops his destructive behavior, hence this can be hard to change. The exposure, which sometimes is a part of MFT procedure, will make the individual see that these illusions are not true. In this way exposure treatment can cure all sorts of cathastrophic thinking, phobias, addiction and psychosomatic conditions etc.
Clark, D M & Fairburn, C G (1997). Science and practice of cognitive bahaviour therapy. New York: Oxford university press.