Over the years, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been applied to a variety of client populations in a range of treatment settings and to the range of clinical problems. This chapter provides a general overview of the cognitive behavior history, model, and techniques and their application to clinical social work practice. It begins with a brief history and description, provides a basic conceptual framework for the approach, highlights the empirical base of the model, and then discusses the use of cognitive, behavior, and emotive/affective interventions. Cognitive behavior therapy is based on several principles namely cognitions affect behavior and emotion; certain experiences can evoke cognitions, explanation, and attributions about that situation; cognitions may be made aware, monitored, and altered; desired emotional and behavioral change can be achieved through cognitive change. CBT employs a number of distinct and unique therapeutic strategies in its practice.

The treatment of the suicidal individual is perhaps the most weighty and difficult of any of the problems confronted by the clinical social worker. Some frequent comorbid pathology with suicidal behavior includes alcoholism, panic attacks, drug abuse, chronic schizophrenia, conduct disorder in children and adolescents, impulse control deficits, schizophrenia, and problem-solving deficits. Suicidal harmful behavior appears in all ages and characterizes clients in a large spectrum of life. There are four types of suicidal behavior namely rational suicider, psychotic suicider, hopeless suicider and impulsive or histrionic suicider. This chapter presents some primarily cognitive techniques for challenging suicidal automatic thoughts. Recent reports suggest that individuals suffering from alcohol or substance abuse are at an increased risk both for attempting, and for successfully completing, a suicidal act. The therapist must develop an armamentarium of cognitive techniques, and the skills to use these effectively in ways that are appropriate for each individual client.

When the perpetrator is the client’s own body, the Illness and Somatic Disorders Protocol can be used. It is important to note that this protocol addresses both psychological and physical factors related to somatic complaints. For many, addressing the psychological dimensions will cause partial or complete remission of the physical symptoms. When primarily organic processes are involved, the psychological issues may be exacerbating the physical conditions. While physical symptoms may not remit, the clinical emphasis is on improving the person’s quality of life. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has also been used in the hospital to assist clients who are suffering from intractable pain to let go of the guilt they feel about wanting to die and be released from the pain. There are many ways to bolster the immune system in order to facilitate the healing process, however, death may be inevitable for some clients.

Protocol for excessive grief is to be used when there is a high level of suffering, self-denigration, and lack of remediation over time concerning the loss of a loved one. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) does not eliminate healthy appropriate emotions, including grief. The protocol is similar to the Standard EMDR Protocol for trauma. The goal of this work is to have clinicians’ client accept the loss and think back on aspects of life with the loved one with a wide range of feelings, including an appreciation for the positive experiences they shared. Francine Shapiro often brings up the issue: How long does one have to grieve? She asks us to not place our limitations on our clients as this would be antithetical to the notion of the ecological validity of the client’s self-healing process.

This chapter serves as a one-stop resource where therapists can access a wide range of word-for-word scripted protocols for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) practice, including the past, present, and future templates. These scripts are conveniently outlined in an easy-to-use, manual style template for therapists, allowing them to have a reliable, consistent form and procedure when using EMDR with clients. The idea of the safe place has been a staple in practices of Clinical Hypnosis practitioners. The first known use of the Safe Place with EMDR was when Dr. Neal Daniels, an EMDR practitioner working at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Philadelphia, adopted this resource to assist the veterans with whom he worked to ground themselves and contain their affect before doing trauma work. Dr. Francine Shapiro saw the merit of this intervention and by 1995 included a formalized version into the first EMDR text.

This chapter presents a summary of the Single Traumatic Event Protocol. For single traumatic events, the Standard Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol should be applied to the certain targets, including the past, present, and future templates. The chapter serves as a one-stop resource where therapists can access a wide range of word-for-word scripted protocols for EMDR practice. These scripts are conveniently outlined in an easy-to-use, manual style template for therapists, allowing them to have a reliable, consistent form and procedure when using EMDR with clients. Encourage clients to imagine themselves coping effectively in the face of specific challenges, triggers, or snafus. Therapists can make some suggestions of things in order to help inoculate them with future problems. It is helpful to use imaginal rehearsing type of future template after clients have received needed education concerning social skills and customs, assertiveness, and any other newly learned skills.

This chapter presents a summary of the Current Anxiety and Behavior Protocol. For current anxiety and behavior problems, the Standard Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol should be applied to the certain targets, including the past, present, and future templates. The chapter serves as a one-stop resource where therapists can access a wide range of word-for-word scripted protocols for EMDR practice. These scripts are outlined in an easy-to-use, manual style template for therapists, allowing them to have a reliable, consistent form and procedure when using EMDR with clients. After clients have processed their issue(s), they might want to work on positive templates for the future in other areas of their lives using the future templates. If new material comes ups during the Reevaluation Phase after the current anxiety and behavior were processed, target this material as soon as possible to make sure that the whole event have been reprocessed.

This chapter presents a summary of the Recent Traumatic Events Protocol. For single traumatic events, the Standard Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol should be applied to the certain targets, including the past, present, and future templates. The chapter serves as a one-stop resource where therapists can access a wide range of word-for-word scripted protocols for EMDR practice. These scripts are conveniently outlined in an easy-to-use, manual style template for therapists, allowing them to have a reliable, consistent form and procedure when using EMDR with clients. The client should have a full association with the material as it is being reprocessed. If there is disturbance, the client should stop and inform the clinician. Then, the EMDR Procedure including the negative cognition (NC) and positive cognition (PC) is implemented. Repeat until the entire event can be visualized from start to finish without emotional, cognitive, or somatic distress.