Cognitive Reconstruction in CBT Interventions
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Using Cognitive Reconstruction in Psychotherapy
Cognitive Reconstruction literally means reconstructing an established way of thinking and is one of the prime objectives of CBT.
It is made possible by the ability of the human brain to adapt and create new neural pathways at the molecular level - known technically as Neuroplasticity.
Because much of our emotional experience is determined by how we make sense of the World around us, changing our patterns of thought can also change the way we feel.
However, because we develop cognitive patterns as a part of the normal learning process, they tend to become rather fixed and inflexible.
This is not a problem if our way of thinking provides us with benefits, but can be decidedly problematic if those patterns end up making us feel anxious and stressed.
CBT takes advantage of this relationship between thoughts and feelings (cognition and behaviour) and utilises tools and techniques designed to produce cognitive reconstruction.
Reconstruction of the existing neural pathways is possible because of the brain’s natural adaptability which is known as Neuroplasticity.
Cognitive Reconstruction in Phobias
Overcoming a phobia involves the cognitive reconstruction of a person’s existing beliefs about their object of fear.
This normally happens in one of two ways:
- Exploring their current core beliefs about the phobic situation and examining if there are any cognitive distortions that might be altered – correcting these distortions is a form of cognitive reconstruction.
- The second way is through repeated exposure to the phobic situation (exposure therapy). This approach works by realising that the object of fear is not as ‘bad’ as originally thought and this new bodily response (a lower level of somatic experience) leads to cognitive reconstruction.
In the first example we see thoughts changing behaviours.
In the second we see behaviours changing thoughts.
Either way, the internal process is ultimately one of Cognitive Reconstruction.
Scientific Minds and Meaning Making
We All Have Scientific Minds.
Whether you recognise it or not, your mind takes a scientific approach to generating and maintaining your internal ‘hypotheses’ all of the time.
Mind and Body in Mental Health
We have already established that it is NOT events that cause emotions (events don’t cause feelings), but rather the ‘meaning’ of those events that then create the emotional ‘response’.
So having the thought that ‘I am ugly’ is likely to trigger feelings of shame, guilt or sadness.
Perceptual Constructivism: Creating a Working Model of the World
As humans we tend to make the assumption that the ‘way the World works’ is the same for everybody – that our model of the world (our Worldview) is experienced in the same way for all people living on the planet.
This is not actually true but is, in fact, just the way that we think it works!
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