WHAT IS CBT ?
"Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them." - Epictetus
CBT believes that distress is not caused by external events themselves but the meaning and interpretation that one attributes to these events. CBT is a structured, action-oriented, here and now based, goal driven therapy that aims to challenge one's thoughts, alter behaviour, and offer emotional respite thereby reducing/eliminating distress.
"We suffer more often in imagination than in reality." - Seneca
The CBT Triangle
Intervowen elements
CBT helps you understand how your Thoughts (Cognition), affect your Emotions (Feelings) and Behaviour (Action).These elements are not linear, they are bidirectional (each one can cause the other).
WHAT CBT AIMS TO ACCOMPLISH ?
EVOLUTIONARY STANDPOINT
Neural Pathways
Our brains try to protect us from danger. It does this by predicting danger and preparing us for it. It is called predictive coding and is a survival algorithm.In danger situations, body sensations and emotions occur before conscious thinking. Our survival system in fact bypasses the thinking brain to keep us safe first, then think. Amygdala (body’s alarm system) is activated in 12-20 milliseconds, heart races, muscles tense, adrenaline is released, preparing for fight/flight/freeze response. This is the ‘Low Road’, it is fast, unconscious, automatic responses and designed for primal survival. A few milliseconds later, the thinking brain is activated. This is the ‘High Road’, the slower, conscious, rational thinking brain which calms the Low Road by telling it that its now okay, the situation is not so dangerous. Many times, in individuals experiencing Anxiety, Depression & Trauma, this Low Road is still overactive.
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ALTERING THOUGHTS
Working on the High Road
The Low Road is simple, can’t make complex interpretations. The High Road, is the smarter rational pathway, can synthesise information better, is the complex problem solver but it can also indulge in inaccurate interpretations (cognitive distortions), biased information processing, negative beliefs, filling in the blanks, polarised thinking amidst others. This varies in individuals due to respective Apperceptive conditioning. The High Road, at times, keeps the brain in false alarm mode, triggering the Low Road response, thereby invoking anxiety/low moods. CBT targets this High Road, the thinking brain, by invoking the individual’s logic, reasoning, interpretations, inferences to alter thoughts, regulate emotions and change behaviour. At times, CBT seeks to first alter behaviour through exposure to feared situations eventually changing thoughts and regulating emotions (the bi-directionality).
THE ABOVE IS A TECHNICAL EXPLANATION.
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IN SIMPLE TERMS
CBT inspects the maintaining (here and now) aspects of human distress and not the causal aspects. CBT believes, what started the problem is rarely what keeps it going. The historical context or the past, even though a strong contributory factor to present distress, CBT believes that these factors coalesce into a. various schemas and core beliefs (e.g I am worthless, I am inadequate, I am a failure etc.), b. rules & assumptions ( I must never make any mistakes) and c. negative automatic thoughts ( I am going to get fired, I am useless).
All these are deeply ingrained, unconscious blueprints formed since childhood but CBT treats these as hypotheses rather than facts and attempts to encourage the client to seek objective & realistic evidence. In a way, CBT works at the metacogntive level (thinking about thinking), makes an unprejudiced and impartial enquiry into clients presenting problems and maintenance factors, appeals to logic and reason, seeks evidence, and encourages practical problem solving.
THE BROAD IDEA IS TO FOSTER FUNCTIONAL ADAPTATION AND REDUCE DISTRESS. CBT AIMS TO ATTAIN THIS BY ‘COLLABORATIVE EMPIRICISM’ MEANING THERAPIST IS NOT THE ALL KNOWING PERSON WHO WILL FIX YOUR LIFE, RATHER IS A GUIDE FOR YOU TO ARRIVE AT ALTERNATIVES THEREBY BUILDING SELF-EFFICACY.
IN ESSENCE CBT DOES NOT VIEW THE CLIENT AS BROKEN RATHER SOMEONE WHO IS STUCK IN CERTAIN MAINTENANCE CYCLE, A SORT OF SELF PERPETUATING LOOP. THE VERY THING ONE DOES TO COPE WITH THE PROBLEM ACTUALLY FEEDS AND PRESERVES THE PROBLEM
CBT & EXISTENTIALISM
CBT is rooted in scientific & psychological explanation of emotional distress as it fits into 'evidence based, empirically supported aspects which is structured and measurable.
Existential philosophy views emotional distress as an inevitable part of being human that needs to be accepted and explored. It explores human condition, freedom, isolation, meaninglessness, death amongst others and a courageous confrontation with these. Rather than cure or erase the pain, it encourages the client to change relationship with the pain and live alongside it authentically. It believes in deconstructing blame ‘why is it happening to me’ and instead focus on agency ‘How can I live despite the situation’.
COMMONALITIES BETWEEN THEM
Both reject the idea that you are a victim of your past or your unconscious mind
Both assert that it is not external events that reject the idea that you are a victim of your past or your unconscious mind
Both place responsibility on the self to change one's life (your thoughts, your actions) and does not believe in fate.
PRESENTING ISSUES WE DEAL WITH
GRASPING EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM AND POSSIBILITIES CAN HAPPEN ONCE WE GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEATH AND OUR FINITUDE.
All of the above demands dealing with other minds who offers FRAME OF REFERENCE as well as contrasting perspectives that the leader needs to sift through in order to engage in decision making and action.
The leading mind has to stagecraft momentum in other minds of own organisation as well as deal with minds in the organisation's ecosystem in a 'match wits' market place
but there are immense APPERCEPTIVE aspects at play, such is the labour of assimilation.
HEADSTRIDE APPROPRIATES ATTENTION TO THESE
APPERCEPTIVE ELEMENTS IN THE MIND THAT
AUGMENT ASSIMILATION
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HOW THE LEADER
INTERPRETS, PERCEIVES & DECIDES
CBT ENGAGEMENT STEPS
LOCOMOTIVE
being towards death is in a way being towards life
the way we view choices
the decisions we take
the actions we commit to
and the inactivity we pursue
“Everything that now exists, no matter how great and good it is, lasts for a time, fulfills a purpose, and then passes on. And so it will be with all the works of art that now exist; an eternal veil of forgetfulness will lie over them, just as there is now over those things that came before.”
- Adalbert Stifter, Indian Summer
EXISTENCE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF TIME
GRASPING EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM AND POSSIBILITIES CAN HAPPEN ONCE WE GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEATH AND OUR FINITUDE.
The core day to day functionality of leadership is leading minds, herald a start and sustain their inspiration towards vision & mission accomplishment and behold excitement at each attainment. It is in a way unfolding of a psychological thriller with a cast of characters in which there is
Influencing, Negotiating, Inspiring, Communicating, Asserting, Delegating, Empowering, Disrupting, Innovating, Problem Solving, Strategising, Planning, Coaching, Mentoring, Walking the Talk
and other aspects of doing and being.
'Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.'
- Jean de La Bruyère
GRASPING EXISTENTIAL FREEDOM AND POSSIBILITIES CAN HAPPEN ONCE WE GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEATH AND OUR FINITUDE.
BEING-TOWARD
being towards death is in a way being towards life
the way we view choices
the decisions we take
the actions we commit to
and the inactivity we pursue
HEADSTRIDE SALES BLOGS
OUR BLOGS OFFER OUR READERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE OUR THOUGHTS AND CENTRAL THEME PRIOR TO AN ENGAGEMENT WITH US.
We encourage you to read it as we feel, trust could precede our engagement. We have always sought for advancement and alteration of our frame of reference as and when new philosophical/psychological constructs or material emerge in the sales arena.
OUR PUBLICATIONS PRESERVE AND REFLECT THIS ETHOS.
HEADSTRIDE COACHING ENVELOPS THE APPERCEPTIVE FRAMEWORK THAT IS A HARVEST OUT OF EXISTENTIAL, COGNITIVE & PSYCHODYNAMIC SOW.
IT HAS CONCEPTUAL SPREAD, EXPANSIVENESS AND SUFFICIENCY FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT CENTRIC WORK
HEADSTRIDE SALES BLOGS
OUR BLOGS OFFER OUR READERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE OUR THOUGHTS AND CENTRAL THEME PRIOR TO AN ENGAGEMENT WITH US.
We encourage you to read it as we feel, trust could precede our engagement. We have always sought for advancement and alteration of our frame of reference as and when new philosophical/psychological constructs or material emerge in the sales arena.
OUR PUBLICATIONS PRESERVE AND REFLECT THIS ETHOS.
ANXIETY
EXISTENTIAL
COACHING
BEING-TOWARD
Understanding the significance of individual existence, grasping the meaning & absurdities of Being & negotiating the journey into authenticity.
NEW INFORMATION/ STIMULUS IS NOT PERCEIVED, IT IS APPERCEIVED.
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE IS A PRODUCT OF APPERCEPTION
APPERCEPTION IS A MENTAL PROCESS BY WHICH ANY NEW INFORMATION, CONCEPT, THEORY IS COMPARED AND CONTRASTED WITH ALREADY EXISTENT MENTAL CONTENT AND THEREBY CLASSIFIED, EXPLAINED OR UNDERSTOOD.
EXISTENTIAL COACHING
A PHILOSOPHICAL UNRAVELING
Understanding the significance of individual existence, grasping the meaning & absurdities of Being & negotiating the journey into authenticity.
Understanding the significance of individual existence, grasping the meaning & absurdities of Being & negotiating the journey into authenticity.
