Donald Meichenbaum's Cognitive Behavior Modification

1. Donald
Meichenbaum’s
cognitive
behavior
modification
Presented by:
Anmol Ayaz

2. Introduction
– major alternative to rational emotive behavior therapy is Donald
Meichenbaum’s cognitive behavior modification (CBM), which focuses on
changing the client’s self-verbalizations.
– According to Meichenbaum (1977), self-statements affect a person’s
behavior in much the same way as statements made by another person.
– As essential to behavior change, clients must notice how they think, feel,
and behave, and what impact they have on others.
– So, that they can evaluate their behavior in various situations.
– This approach shares with REBT and Beck’s cognitive therapy the
assumption that distressing emotions are typically the result of
maladaptive thoughts

3. – Meichenbaum’s self-instructional training focuses more on helping clients become aware
of their self-talk and the stories they tell about themselves.
– cognitive restructuring plays a central role in Meichenbaum’s (1977, 1993) self-
instructional training
– our emotions and thinking are two sides of the same coin: the way we feel can affect our
way of thinking, just as how we think can influence how we feel.
– Together, therapist and client practice the self-instructions and the desirable behaviors in
role-play situations that simulate problem situations in the client’s daily life.
– The emphasis is on acquiring practical coping skills for problematic situations such as
impulsive and aggressive behavior, anxiety in social situations, fear of taking tests, eating
problems, and fear of public speaking.

4. Basic Principles
– Clients must become aware of how they think, feel, and behave
and how this impacts others around them
– negative scripts impact behavior

5. Role of Therapist
– Therapist as teacher
– Working relationship

6. Therapeutic Process
– Self-instructional training that focuses on helping clients become
aware of self-talk.
– Clients are taught to make positive self-statements and modify self-
instruction in order to cope with stress.

7. How Behavior Changes
– Meichenbaum (1977) proposes that “behavior change occurs through a
sequence of mediating processes involving the interaction of inner
speech, cognitive structures, and behaviors and their resultant outcomes.
– Cognitive restructuring
– 1. Self-observation
– 2. New internal dialogue
– 3. New skills

8. Coping skills programs
– coping skills program is teaching clients stress management techniques.
– coping skills are designed to be applied to both present problems and
future difficulties
– Stress inoculation training: consists of three phases---
– 1. Conceptualization
– 2. Skills acquisition & rehearsal
– 3. Application & follow-through

9. conceptual-educational phase
– the primary focus is on creating a working relationship and therapeutic
alliance with clients. This is mainly done by helping them gain a better
understanding of the nature of stress and reconceptualizing it in social-
interactive terms

10. Skills acquisition and consolidation
phase
– focus is on giving clients a variety of behavioral and cognitive coping
skills to apply to stressful situations.
– This phase involves direct actions, such as gathering information about
their fears, learning specifically what situations bring about stress and
learning methods of physical and psychological relaxation.

11. application and follow-through
phase
– the focus is on carefully arranging for transfer and maintenance of change
from the therapeutic situation to everyday life.
– Clients practice their new self-statements and apply their new skills to
everyday life

12. Significant Contribution
– Focus on stress inoculation training and self-instruction training
successful with variety of specific problems
– Clarifies therapeutic process by teaching client through a working
relationship .