According to a recent study published in Addiction, seeking safety treatment (SS), a manualized, present-focused, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) treatment program for substance use disorders and PTSD, is associated with better drug use outcomes than treatment as usual. The current study compared treatment as usual to a combination of SS and treatment as usual. Results indicate that SS may reduce drug use in veterans with substance use disorders and PTSD better than treatment as usual, and works as well as treatment as usual in reducing alcohol use and PTSD symptoms. SS is also associated with greater treatment attendance, treatment satisfaction, and improvements in active coping. Requirements for training, supervision and consultation in SS is less costly than other evidence-based treatments for PTSD, which may increase its feasibility of use.Seeking safety treatment was developed by Lisa Najavits, Ph.D.

Boden, M. T., Kimerling, R., Jacobs-Lentz, J., Bowman, D., Weaver, C., Carney, D., Trafton, J. A.,& Walser, R. (2012). Seeking Safety treatment for male veterans with a substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology. Addiction, 107(3), 578-586.

New study on Cognitive Behavior Therapy for pathological perfectionism.

In this audio clip Dr. Aaron Beck discusses the many applications of Cognitive Therapy. Listen to or download it here.

Take a look at this review on cognitive reframing for carers of people with dementia.  

The Generic Cognitive Model

In this clip from a recent 3-day workshop at Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dr. Aaron Beck first describes the generic cognitive model and explains how it can be adapted to a number of different disorders. Then Dr. Beck illustrates the application of CBT to panic disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome— just two examples of the many disorders to which CBT is effectively applied. http://www.beckinstitute.org/cbt-workshops

It’s important for cognitive behavior therapists to use guided discovery with their clients. Guided discovery helps therapists ascertain which cognition or cognitions are most upsetting to clients, which allows them to help clients gain distance, evaluate the validity and utility of their cognitions, and decatastrophize their fears. What are some dysfunctional cognitions you see cropping up in your clients? How do you help them respond to these cognitions?

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, videoconference- and cell phone-based cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) may improve obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with limited access to face-to-face therapy. In the current study, researchers in Norway partnered with researchers at the University of Michigan to study the efficacy of CBT via electronic means. Six OCD patients received fifteen therapy sessions via electronic forms during a 12-week period. Nine sessions were conducted via cell phone, and six were conducted via videoconference. Patients completed self-report measures at pretreatment, throughout treatment, post treatment, and at a three month follow-up. Five of the patients were female; ages ranged from 24-44 years.

Results indicate that all participants achieved at least 50% reductions in all measures of OCD, depression, and anxiety. When compared to previous studies, these reductions are consistent with face-to-face therapy. These findings provide preliminary support for CBT via electronic means as an alternative treatment approach for OCD patients with limited access to treatment facilities.

Vogel, P. A., Launes, G., Moen, E. M., Solem, S., Hansen, B., Haland, A. T., & Himle, J. A. (2012). Videoconference– and cell phone-based cognitive behavioral therapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case series. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 26(1), 158-164.

Check out this cross-cultural comparison of an internet-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy program for eating disorders.

The Relationship Between Neuroscience and Cognitive Therapy

Dr. Aaron Beck answers questions from participants at Beck Institute’s first ever CBT Workshop, conducted entirely in Spanish. In this clip, Dr. Beck discusses the relationship between neuroscience and cognitive therapy. Studies show that people with depression are hypersensitive to negative stimuli at both a conscious and subconscious level. This hypersensitivity tends to disappear when patients receive cognitive and behavioral interventions to overcome their depression. www.beckinstitute.org/cbt-workshops.

Take a look at this recent study in which telephone-based CBT was used to treat depression in Parkinson disease.