COM- 100 (100-O SUMMER-PERSONALITY DQs.

COM- 100 (100-O SUMMER-PERSONALITY DQs. 7.2 How would cognitive therapists approach the treatment of depression? How might they criticize humanistic therapies? Cognitive therapists would appr oach the treatment of depression by looking at the thoughts going on in one’s brain. They would approach it by investigating the mental process in which a person is taking. For example, a cognitive therapist would sit down with a person struggling with depression and ask them questions that bring out their thought process. Specifically, they would look for negative schemas, like negative lenses in which they see themselves and the world. They would then alter the thinking by ensuring that they receive realistic perspectives instead of their negative ones (Burger, 2015). The depressed person does have a sense of exaggeration and do not see reality clearly and that is what the cognitive therapists would alter. They would criticize humanistic therapies because they do not believe that the perspective and approach is not aligned with human nature and takes a too naïve approach. It would be criticized because it does not dive deep enough and only simply describes personality. Burger, J. M. (2015). Personality (9 th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth-Thomson Learning. 7.1 Discuss how the cognitive theorists (Kelly, Beck, and Ellis) might respond to this question from a potential client: "I have been a patient of Dr. Steve Smith, who is a psychoanalyst. He feels that I need three years of therapy to explore my defense mechanisms (he said I need to regress back to my childhood repressions, whatever that means). I am feeling depressed, and have even thought of committing suicide. I feel that no matter what I do, I'm just a complete failure. Can you help me, or should I stay with Dr. Smith?" Each would respond to the situation differently. Kelly holds the belief that personal constructs aid in creating various views of what reality is throughout one’s lifetime, in addition to also believing that people are bipolar, which is how they handle life situations. Kelly mostly focused on the fact that people are their own scientists (Burger, 2015). Inevitably, Kelly would tell the patient that seeing Dr. Smith to regress would not be of help to the current situation. He would encourage the patient to further explore and understanding himself. Beck believes that people who see the world and themselves negatively, are depressed and so his response to the patient would be to keep seeing Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith would be able to regress and alter the negativity lens that the patient sees life through. Lastly, Ellis would approach this situation by telling the patient to stay with Dr. Smith. Ellis believes that it is important to trace behavior and ensure that it has rational beliefs behind it (Burger, 2015). He would say that Dr. Smith can aid in going back and instilling rational thinking and perspective. Burger, J.M. (2015). Personality. (9th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Retrieved from