The problem with cognitive therapy is the actual Therapy part. When someone requires cognitive therapy, how can you be sure that the therapist and the program he/she is using will have the ability to modify faulty thinking and self-defeating conduct? There are a myriad of therapists in San Diego each with their own explanations and curriculum. Few, if any, are based on fact with sufficient verification that the program they’re using is correct and helpful.

Almost any counseling program could claim that it is cognitive therapy, but few, if any, could verify that it is successful. One might submit that cognitive therapy is misnamed. The meaning of “therapy” is the treating of illness or disability. Using cognitive therapy in mental illness is almost completely in vain since you cannot use cognitive restructuring training on someone who isn’t cognitive. The same holds true to kids. Cognitive therapy is unsuccessful on children for an identical reason, because they are not cognitive thus far.

The problem with using therapists to assist in cognitive therapy programs is that most therapists have emotional illnesses themselves with many living in self-deception. That is, they do not know that they are sick and hence they send on their problems (bad beliefs) to their patients. Multitudes of people go to psycho therapists sessions for many years at a huge expense, yet don’t heal, in fact, many grow worse. Nevertheless, competent cognitive life skills counselors with good evidence based curriculum can help people in making lasting changes in a matter of hours instead of days, months and years. This isn’t to say that every therapist is unsuccessful.

The best counselors/therapists have a positive way of being. People make changes because of truth, not counseling techniques. The truth rings at a frequency that has the power to prick the veil of self-imposed falsehoods and allow people to overcome years and years of faulty programing. Think cognitive restructuring life skills VS a clinical method of cognitive therapy. Look for evidence based cognitive restructuring programs that will supply proof that their system is successful. Look for writers and organizations that have years of experience in creating and aiding groups. There isn’t a book out there that can be an acceptable substitute for tangible hands-on experience.