This podcast episode is based on Journey to Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Recovery from Mental Health and Addiction Issues by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes  Read it for free on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.
CBT Interventions and Group Activities
Instructor: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC
Executive Director: AllCEUs Counseling CEUs and Specialty Certificates
CEUs are available for this podcast at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/924/c/
Objectives
~ Explore ways to teach Cognitive behavioral interventions in group
Basis
~ Changing thoughts (cognitions) has a direct impact on physiological response (urges and behaviors)
~ Changing behaviors has a direct response on thoughts and emotional reactions
~ At its core CBT has the principles of noticing, understanding and addressing thoughts feelings and behaviors
Functional Analysis
~ The process of identifying the antecedents (causes/triggers) and consequences (positive/negative) of behaviors
~ Causes
~ Emotional
~ Mental
~ Physical
~ Social
~ Environmental (including time & Date)
Unhooking/Diffusion
~ Separating yourself from your thoughts and FEARS
~ FEARs
~ F = Fusion
~ E = Excessive goals (your goal is too big, or you lack the skills or resources)
~ A = Avoidance of discomfort (unwillingness to make room for the discomfort)
~ R = Remoteness from values
Unhooking/Diffusion
~ The antidote to F.E.A.R. is D.A.R.E.
~ D = Diffusion
~ I am having the thought that…
~ I am having feelings of…
~ My behaviors were…
~ A = Acceptance of discomfort
~ R = Realistic goals
~ E = Embracing values
Problem Identification and Solving (SIDED-E)
~ Stop. Use self talk, distress tolerance and/or relaxation techniques to restrain impulsive actions “Stop! In the name of love. Before you break my heart. Think it over.”
~ Identify the problem—Who, where, what, why
~ Develop alternative solutions
~ Explore the short and long term consequences/outcomes of solutions
~ Decide on a response
~ Evaluate the outcome
Activity
~ When you experience a problem…
~ How can you remember to practice the pause?
~ What techniques can you use to get through the initial adrenaline rush?
~ Describe a time you get upset and effectively managed it.
~ Give an example of a time you got upset and did not effectively manage it.
~ What was the difference?
Activity
~ Practice identifying the problem
~ Who is involved –Think broadly
~ What happened – Explore objectively
~ When did it take place – In the chain of events
~ Where did it take place – Is there significance to this place
~ Why did it happen? Why did it bother you? – Explore broadly
~ Identify alternatives
~ Immediate response – Benefits and drawbacks
~ Alternate responses – Benefits and drawbacks
~ Choose and implement the response
Contracting
~ Identify the problem/target behavior
~ Identify the function/benefit of the behavior
~ Identify a new behavior to replace it
~ Identify rewards for the new behavior and drawbacks to the old behavior
~ Identify and address drawbacks to the new behavior
~ Write a contract
~ Monitor behavior
Activity
~ Target Behaviors
~ Persistent worrying
~ Not getting out of bed
~ Anger outbursts
~ Smoking
~ Stress-Eating
~ Caving/being overly passive
~ Identify vulnerabilities for each
~ Identify the benefits and drawbacks of each
~ Identify alternate ways of meeting the same need
~ Identify ways to address the target behavior
Activity Scheduling
~ Schedule in positive