CBT treatment is tailored to each individual and is adapted to meet the needs of the client. A good CBT treatment plan carefully considers the client’s goals, values, presenting problems, symptoms, and demographics including culture, religion, language, sexual and gender identity and more.
First session involves gathering information such as:
- Identifying the main psychological and physical symptoms
- Identifying healthy and unhealthy coping methods
- Identifying possible triggers
- Identifying supports in the community
- Identifying shared goals for therapy and treatment plan
- Completing assessment measures for example Becks Anxiety & or Depression inventory
The CBT psychotherapist will select a suitable CBT model to use and will write a draft formulation to share with you. A formulation is a method of understanding how the symptoms developed over time. An individual formulation helps determine an individualized treatment plan for every client. Therapists should then explain the treatment plan, and any related skills and techniques, sometimes called interventions. If clients agree to the suggested interventions, then they work together with their therapists to learn these techniques and skills. Each session of CBT will have an agenda so the person will always be aware of the content of upcoming sessions. The psychotherapist will agree weekly tasks to do and this may involve giving the person helpful reading information in the form of handouts as relevant.
