Discussion 3: Disorders & Cognitive Behavioral Therapists

Prior to beginning work on this discussion,    

• Read the Assessment Strategies sections in Chapters 5 and 6 of the course textbook.(PROVIDED IN ATTACHMENTS)


• Read the required articles The Use of Behavioral Experiments to Modify Delusions and Paranoia: Clinical Guidelines and Recommendations and the Treatment of Mental Hypochondriasis: A Case Report (Combs, Tiegreen, & Nelson, 2007; Weck, 2014). (PROVIDED IN THE ATTACHMENTS)


• Read Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques that Work https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201212/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-techniques-work , CBT and Behavioural Experiments https://cbtfortherapists.blogspot.com/2012/02/cbt-and-behavioural-experiments.html , and Giving a Rationale for CBT https://cbtfortherapists.blogspot.com/2009/09/giving-rationale-for-cbt.html (Boyce, 2012; Lebon, 2012; Lebon, 2009).

Choose a specific disorder, and then conduct web research to find a person (i.e., living or not, historical, famous, and/or even fictional) who suffers from one of the conditions listed. You will then use this individual as a case study for the specifications that follow for this discussion. Choose from the following list:

• Agoraphobia


• Anorexia or Bulimia


• Generalized Anxiety Disorder


• Depression


• Panic Disorder


• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder


• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder


• Specific Phobias (e.g., public speaking, heights, animals, etc.)


• Substance Abuse

For your initial post of a minimum of 350 words, assume the role of a cognitive behavioral therapist who is treating the individual you have researched. Your initial post should address and focus on the following items rather than centering the activity on a detailed description of the disorder.

• Briefly describe the disorder.


• Identify the assessment strategy for diagnosing the disorder.


• Describe in detail a cognitive behavioral experiment you might use with this client to address the chosen disorder. Your experiment should include both cognitive and behavioral aspects and be measurable.


• Apply cognitive and behavioral theories to explain and justify your experiment.

Note that if your research does not turn up adequate data to fully support your thinking, feel free to speculate or use your imagination to provide plausible detail.