Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy - Etiology, Patient Functioning, and Treatment

Etiology, Patient Functioning, and Treatment

Early developmental history is conceptualized from a Piagetian cognitive-emotional developmental perspective. Patients enter treatment, more often than not, thinking and functioning in the social-interpersonal arena in a pre-formal operational, non-abstract manner. Etiologically, because patients have been hurt in interpersonal relationships with Significant Others, they learn early to avoid interpersonal engagement; thus, interpersonal avoidance using hostility, detachment and withdrawal are major treatment problems most therapists confront. CBASP administers a structured exercise called "Situational Analysis (SA)." SA teaches patients to recognize the cause and effect relationships in their interpersonal interactions which in turn helps them to identify their contributory role in producing the people-problems they complain about. SA seeks to remedy the patient's generalized and pernicious assumption: "It doesn't matter what I do!"