Counseling Principles and Paradigms in Practice

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The key features of cognitive model
The client’s scenario: Angela
How the model would work with the client
Why cognitive model is preferred to systematic model
Advantages and disadvantages of cognitive model
Difference in theoretical basis of cognitive and systematic model
The similarity and difference in the application of the models
References

Introduction

Cognitive model initially developed alongside cognitive psychology. Since its development, cognitive model has gotten lots of contributions from scientific fields which include, but limited to, artificial intelligence and machine knowledge. Before getting into deep discussion it is important to understand the term cognitive. Cognitive is a term used to refer to the totality of processes used by the human sensory cells to transform input. Moreover, during the transformation, the input is reduced, convoluted, picked up, and put to use. Cognition is concerned with the processes even when such processes actually operate in the absence of appropriate stimulus, for example in the case of hallucinations. It is therefore, perceptible that cognition is concerned with all the aspects of human individuals. It is assumed that every psychological aspect of human beings is a cognitive object (Thagard, 205, p. 57).

The key features of cognitive model

The cognitive model is an approximation made to the cognitive processes, primarily in human beings, for reasons of understanding and predictions. Scientifically, a cognitive model can be constructed within or outside what is known as cognitive structure; however, both cognitive model and cognitive architecture cannot be distinguished with ease. Cognitive model is biased towards dealing with just a single process or object. It also focuses on studying the mechanisms through which more than one processes interact with one another; this may include visually seek out and the decision making process. Cognitive model is also concerned with behavioral prediction of particular tools and or tasks (Eysenck and Keane, 2005, p.527).

Cognitive model comes in various types amongst which are box-and –arrow illustrations and computational models. Nonetheless, the assumptions of this model is that human beings are rational and will, under normal circumstances, always make decisions and choices that they feel make most sense for them. Therefore, the cognitive model is used to diagnose individuals’ problems and find solutions to those problems. The other important feature of cognitive model is that it concerns itself with stimulus and response in which the mental process play a major role. It supports the notion that solutions to problems faced by individuals include rules not necessarily comprehended but seem to give hope in finding solutions and also certain rules that are necessarily comprehended but may not offer solutions to the problems (Gray, 2007,P.415).

Cognitive model is differentiated from other psychological model in that it acknowledges the adoption of scientific techniques as the most appropriate methods of investing a problem and it basically does not agree to the notion of introspection. Furthermore, the cognitive model accepts the existence of beliefs, inspiration and desire which constitute the internal mental states (Gray, 2007, P.417).

Cognitive model of depression is one with the most pragmatic evidence that is used in offering appropriate solutions to depression. According to cognitive model, the individual behavior and emotional statuses are greatly determined by an individual’s cognition. The cognitive factors that contribute to the behavior and emotions of an individual include, amongst others, beliefs and personal thought. One of the proponents of cognitive model is Aaron Beck. Aaron beck argued that the symptoms of depression come about in situations where individuals’ attribution for external processes or events is linked to maladaptive attitudes and or beliefs. According to Aaron Beck, the cognitive model of depression has given adequate scientific evidence to serve as the premise on which assumptions that maladaptive cognitions come before and cause disorder (Beck, 1979, p.300)

The client’s scenario: Angela

Cognitive model can be used to understand Angela’s scenario since her case is cognitive. Angela is guided by what she believes is right. Angela was involved in drinking just to please and conform to her boyfriend, who she hoped to marry. However, she had the belief that too much drinking was getting her out of control, in view of this, it became important that she separates with her boyfriend. Angela’s emotions emanates from the fact that she has been forced by circumstances to separate with her boyfriend who she believed would marry her and finally have children together and a home. This scenario has made her to have a total behavior change that is quite different from the way her friends knew her before.

Angela’s friends knew her as somebody who was interesting and they freely went out with her, a fact that is no longer the case. It is the inability of Angela to adopt to her new situation of joblessness, not having a boyfriend of her choice and the fear of facing her parents and siblings that makes her experience what Aaron Beck refers to as depression in the context of cognitive model.

Within the context of cognitive model, Angela suffers from issues related to cognitive triad and schema. She is experiencing from a pattern of reportable depressive thoughts actually entails negative thoughts about her situations. For instance, she is jobless, has no boyfriend and is living with a friend and not a house of her own. For that reason, she feels self inadequacy and hence a burden to her friend. Angela is also concerned with her future life in which she longs to be independent. All these factors have made Angela to have a total behavior change. Instead of being jovial with her friends, she is deeply involved in thoughts of finding a job as a nurse and be able to avoid possible concerns of her family members about her life and career.

Angela also suffers from schema, which includes certain maladaptive attitudes and beliefs. Back in England, she used to work as a nurse in a hospital and it is the same kind of job she is looking back at her home country. However, she has a negative attitude towards the kind of hospitals in which she is looking for a nursing job. She seems not to be ready to adopt to the hospital environments where there is lots of smell of drugs. In this case, the most appropriate thing for Angela to undertake is to seek the intervention of a therapist who can help her consider her maladaptive interpretations of her situations and the conclusions she makes about herself as testable hypotheses. The therapists should then help her find alternative workable interpretations and solutions to her problems.

How the model would work with the client

The main objective of applying this model to the client, Angela, is to get her out of both negative thoughts about herself and attitude she has towards her situation. In this case, the client needs to undergo the process of cognitive therapy. The therapy would help her overcome the difficulties she is facing by helping her single out, one by one, and change the dysfunctional kind of thoughts, behavioral traits and her emotional responses. This process would help Angela to develop certain skills that would help her to adjust her personal beliefs, her distorted ways of thinking, the way she is currently relating to her friends and her significant others and changed behavioral traits. Angela’s treatment would be based on the cooperation between her and the therapist and also on the tests of her beliefs. The therapy test may include the examination of the assumptions which she makes and also identify how some of her normally-unquestioned thoughts get distorted. After the distorted thoughts have been identified and challenged through the therapy process, Angela’s negative thoughts and attitudinal feelings about her situation would be more easily subjected to positive change. The behavioral therapy would help Angela to avoid adopting further negative though6s and attitude that would be severely detrimental to her health and even her future career.

Why cognitive model is preferred to systematic model

In the cases where solving problems at individual level is required, cognitive model is the most appropriate since it is concerned with internal factors that influence the behavior and attitudes of the person in question unlike systematic model where problems and solutions are considered in the context of social relationships, which is external. Cases such as that of Angela, where problems emanate due to personal beliefs and perception of the world around an individual only require the application cognitive model as the appropriate source of solution. Such cases cannot be solved in the context of social relationships since they are not involving the victim with other members of the society even though their causal factors may be external.

Cognitive is rather concerned with what happens within a person that finally manifests through behavioral change in an individual. In the process of finding solutions, it seeks to challenge the negativities within and presents the victim with an opportunity to realize neither his nor her problem and thereby consider adjusting his or her behavior and or attitude in order to solve the existing problems (Alford and Beck, 2009, p.365).

Advantages and disadvantages of cognitive model

Cognitive model has many advantages over other available models. One of the advantages is that it is the most appropriate model to use in finding solutions to individual problems that affects the thought process, personal beliefs and emotions of an individual. It examines the cognition of an individual in relation to his or her perception of the world around him or her and the context of the problem. Research done in the past has also indicated that this model can be used successfully in treating some individuals with mental conditions. Cognitive model is highly structured and can therefore be used indifferent formats with clients; the formats used with this model may include books for personal self-help, software which can be used in the computers and well prepared training materials. However, cognitive model has its own disadvantages when compared to other models.

Cognitive model requires that a considerable level of involvement commitment be ensured and maintained in order to tap from its benefits. Taking into account its high structural nature, it is most likely not to be appropriate to used with individuals who have mental health statuses that have become more complex. The implication of this is that the cognitive model can only be appropriately applied in situations where a victim has less complicated mental health needs. The model has also been criticized on the ground that it only lays its focus on finding solutions to the current problems. Moreover, it has also been faulted due to the fact that it focuses on very explicit issues. Finally, cognitive model does not take into consideration the possible fundamental factors that may be responsible for an individual’s mental health problem; an example of such factors is sorrowful childhood (Ikeda et al. 2006, p.170).

Difference in theoretical basis of cognitive and systematic model

The first theoretical difference is found in their applicability. The cognitive model is rather applicable at an individual level and tends to be mainly concerned in solving the current problems with total disregard to the future. In addition, cognitive model presents an exclusive combination of cognitive modeling and intelligent systems. The proponents of this model have argued that human beings develop cognition during their growth process. Moving to systematic model, it is important to note that its theoretical applications are based on systems; in other words it considers social interactions in terms of systems and also attempts to solve problems in a systematic context (Riva, 2004, 700).

The similarity and difference in the application of the models

The similarity in the application is that they represent holistic, interactive and non-pathological approaches to counseling of people, both at individual and group level. They are also cultural sensitive in their application process. On the contrary, both modes have some differences in terms of their application. Cognitive model is mostly applied with individual people and mainly deals with the cognitive factors that contribute to a person’s problems. On the other side, systematic model first assumes that individuals are systems and hence, deals mostly with social factors that affect individuals (Willis, 2005, p.79).

References

Alford, B and Beck, A (2009). Depression: Causes and Treatment. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Beck, A (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression, Guilford clinical psychology and psychotherapy series. New York: Guilford Press.
Eysenck, M & Keane, M (2005). Cognitive psychology: a student’s handbook, (5th ed). New York: Taylor & Francis.
Gray, W (2007). Integrated models of cognition systems, Volume 1 of Oxford series on cognitive models and architectures. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ikeda, M et al. (2006). Intelligent tutoring systems: 8th International Conference, ITS 2006, Jhongli, Taiwan, 2006: proceedings. New York: Springer.
Riva, G (2004). Cybertherapy: internet and virtual reality as assessment and rehabilitation tools for clinical psychology and neuroscience. New York: IOS Pres.
Thagard, P (2005). Mind: introduction to cognitive science. (2^nd ed). London: MIT Press.
Willis, G (2005). Cognitive interviewing: a tool for improving questionnaire design. New York: Sage Publishers.

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