Benchmark – Treatment Interventions

Introduction

This essay will focus on conventional approaches that are used to treat certain disorders, either psychological, alcohol, or drug-related. The two types of treatment interventions that will be analyzed are cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused brief. These two treatment approaches are different, and they help to indicate and treat various disorders in different people. Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves psychotherapeutic treatment that aids patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors (Tadros, 2019). This type of treatment is used to commonly treat several disorders, including addictions, phobias, anxiety, and depression in people.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy concentrates on an individual’s future and presents goals and circumstances rather than experiences. This type of therapy is goal-oriented this means that the issues or symptoms that have taken a person into treatment are not part of the procedure and they are not usually targeted by this approach (Franklin, 2015). This type of therapy is used to treat certain illnesses and disorders such as anxiety, relationship problems, depression, eating disorders, behavioral problems, and substance abuse (Franklin, 2015). There are specific techniques that are used for this type of treatment.

Overview of Treatment Approaches to Addictions Counseling

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is aimed at tracking thoughts that are dysfunctional in a person. Once this has been done the best way to address this problem is by coming up with healthier and more psychologically flexible ideas of thinking by that individual. This can be done in addicts by making them think about something else when they crave for drinking, such as engaging in something constructive such as exercise (Abraham, 2018). At times this technique encourages people to approach their fears step by step or systematically.

On the other hand, Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) the idea is that focusing only on problems is not an effective manner in which the issues can be solved. SFBT targets a patient’s default patterns analyses them for efficacy and modifies or replaces them with problem-solving approaches that can work for the patient (Harley, 2018). An example of this in addicts is in an instance of a person that abuses heroin, and they usually are being given methadone as a way of mitigating and replacing heroin addiction (Harley, 2018). It creates a solution to a problem that the addict pr patient requires as a lasting solution.

Treatment Differences

These two therapies have different ways of treating their patients for CBT; it is about inserting some thinking into an individual that makes them refrain from doing something harmful. In patients with depression, it can be used to input a way of thinking that is positive and one that can enable a person to confront their fears properly. Depression can be triggered by many things, such as losing a job. Once a counselor uses CBT, they can create a manner of thinking in a person that can enable them to be positive that they can find another job or even encourage them to go and find another job (Parker, 2011).

As for SFBT, the primary focus is on improving an individual by enhancing a person’s growth, responsibility, and self-development. The therapy is goal-oriented, and this is done by building solutions that are aimed at improving a person holistically. This is where the two types of treatment are different because as opposed to SFBT, CBT is about the thoughts and creating perception. SFBT is on the other side, aimed at creating solutions that the patient can turn to when the problem arises (Tadros, 2019).

Preferred Method and Rationale

The method that could be the most preferable is Cognitive Based Therapy due to several reasons. The brain is a mighty organ, and once individual perceptions have been logged into the mind, it can be difficult to eject it. However, there are specific triggers that could lead to these commands and attitudes getting removed, and one tends to go back to their former self (Tadros, 2019). This means that the depression, addiction, eating disorder might re-emerge and it is usually worse than before. At times it could even lead to death or significant harm to self, and the mind triggers all this.

The CBT method encourages one to exercise thoughts that can be able to promote a patient or an individual to approach their fear. This can also be applied to rape victims who have undergone trauma. The brain controls these emotions and anxiety is one of the emotions; therefore if the brain can be able to adapt to the fear, then the person can be able to overcome this challenge. This approach is usually not as tedious because the patient can meet the therapist for five to twenty weeks, and the sessions mostly last for about 30 minutes to an hour (Abraham, 2018). This makes it much easier for one to create flexible patterns of thinking.

This type of therapy typically ensures that the process is step by step and that it does not pressure one into creating a different pattern over a short period. When they are pressured in this way, it becomes more accessible to relapse because the patient was unable to have a proper design to fall back to when things get out of hand (Franklin, 2015). This therapy is a much more measured way in that it enables a person to grow psychologically, and they can also help other people to become like them (Parker, 2011). This is a type of therapy that can be issued in alcoholics anonymous meetings because one can share their journey, and it helps persons overcome their fears.

Treatment Professionals

One of the significant aspects of CBT is that one can perform it on themselves, and in this type of therapy, one is advised to be their therapist. This enables them to grow on their own instead of being dependant on a therapist for this type of treatment. However, it is advisable to start with a therapist in the initial stage of the procedure. As one matures and becomes more independent, they can be able to grow on their own. This is similar to what happens in the AA groups when one becomes independent they can be able to sponsor other addicts by ensuring that they get to the meeting and that they can be able to stay sober (Tadros, 2019). This is one of the areas that enables an addict to know that they can be able to take care of themselves. It gives individual satisfaction once they can overcome these challenges. By taking care of another individual, a former addict can be able to face their fears, and eventually, they can encourage a person to meet their concerns (Harley, 2018).

Conclusion

The types of therapy above are used in different situations, and specific individuals react very differently to the different approaches that are used. Not all patients respond well to both these treatments, and other therapies can be used on them. But for persons that are experiencing challenges that deal with their mental state, they are encouraged to undertake these types of treatment to enable them to have better lives and recover from their illnesses and addictions.

References

Abraham T.H, (2018) Adapting Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management for Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinics: Iterative Approach JMIR Ment Health; 5(3)

Álvarez-Jiménez, M., Parker, A. G., (2011). Preventing the second episode: A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosocial and pharmacological trials in first-episode psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37, 619–630.

Franklin, C. (2015). An update on strength-based, solution-focused brief therapy. Health and Social Work, 40, 73–76

Harley J, (2018) the Role of Attention in Therapy for Children and Adolescents Who Stutter: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Interventions, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27, 3S, (1139)Tadros E, (2019) the Tadros Theory of Change: An Integrated Structural, Narrative, and Solution-Focused Approach, Contemporary Family Therapy.