Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help patients with mental illnesses. CBT is based on the idea that negative mental and emotional states can keep people trapped in a cycle of negative emotions, physical sensations, and unhelpful behaviors. CBT is a type of talk therapy that aims to help students cope by breaking down complex issues into smaller chunks. If I were to assist a struggling student, I would use different approaches based on CBT.
I would teach students to accept responsibility for their actions. When people achieve this, they are praised for their initiative and rewarded for their perseverance. CBT instructs patients to engage in critical internal dialogue to examine and, if necessary, alter their most fundamental assumptions and convictions (Collette & Matthew, 2018). I would therefore encourage the student to engage in self-talk. Self-talk, also known as covert self-instruction, occurs when a person secretly instructs themselves in their mind to solve a problem or change their behavior. Cognitive techniques that emphasize self-regulation over extrinsic motivation may aid in learning “how to think” rather than “what to think.” Therefore, the student learns to rely on their reasoning to effect behavioral changes. The ultimate goal of this approach is to help students gain insight into their motivations, emotions, behaviors, interconnections, and potential improvements.
A student, in this case, may be going through depression due to different changes in life. Symptoms associated with this problem are low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and difficulties connecting with other students. In this case, I would engage in conversations with the student, helping them to adjust negative patterns and become aware of their problem. This would help reframe their thinking during panic and provide new coping skills like meditation. The conversations would be to discuss the problem, the arising feelings, consequences, arguments, and potential answers, according to the ABCDE strategy, as outlined by Collette and Matthew (2018). Depression starts in the brain, and the student can experience a happy and satisfying life once the thinking changes. The student will, however, play a big part in the healing process.
References
Collette, D. T. & Matthew, L. (2018). Theories of school counseling for the 21st century. Oxford University Press.