Dr George Varvatsoulias CPsychol CSci Expert Witness

Destructive thoughts result from errors in judgement Beliefs are acceptable not when they are related to events but when they go beyond them Behaviours should always be in accord with constructive thinking. Problematic thinking leads to destructive behaviours Dont be afraid what the world says about you but what do you say about yourself Keep your thoughts in exile and never consider that you have been exiled by them

Socrates philosophy is based on the motto know thyself Socrates did not create a particular School of Thought. However, his school of thought was men to be helped to discover themselves through themselves Socrates consideration was that men the more they live in this life the more they learn; the more the get older the more wiser they become; wisdom does not come through theoretical knowledge but through acceptance of the self in practice

Men are disturbed not by things (situations/events), but by the view (interpretation) they take of them (core beliefs) The Stoic should continually remember that much emotional suffering (unhelpful emotions) is caused by mistakenly assuming (rules for living), or acting as if, external things are under our control Our own actions (behaviours) are under our control, including our opinions and intentions (commitments to valued action)

Acceptance of reality: Accepting things the way they are without changing their content. What needs to change is an individuals apprehension of it, i.e. not working to change the events but how one can empower oneself so not to be bothered by them cognitive restructuring Contemplation: Imagery about the essence of cognitions, emotions and behaviours without instilling them with irrational appraisals

Do you remember what were the points of which I required you to speak? Then, have I now given you all the heads of our yesterdays discussion? Or, is there anything more, my dear Timaeus, which has been omitted? And what other, Critias, can we find that will be better than this? How or where shall we find another if we abandon this?

Teachers Engaged in a Socratic Dialog Should: Respond to all answers with a further question (that calls upon the respondent to develop his/her thinking in a fuller and deeper way) calling in disputation issues
Seek to understandwhere possiblethe ultimate foundations for what is said or believed and follow the implications of those foundations through further questions challenging automatic thoughts, i.e. Is that what you think what you actually believe in? Treat all assertions as a connecting point to further thoughts challenging apprehensions, i.e. I thought of that because it happened to me in the past! Treat all thoughts as in need of development discovering advantages and disadvantages, i.e. eliciting key cognitions Recognize that any thought can only exist fully in a network of connected thoughts. Stimulate students through your questions to pursue those connections core beliefs, the centre of negative automated thoughts Recognize that all questions presuppose prior questions and all thinking presupposes prior thinking. When raising questions, be open to the questions they presuppose - thinking of the unthinkable, i.e. challenging negative appraisals with positive ones so positive instead negative reinforced behaviours to be elicited

Reflecting in the here and now not about the why of mistakes, but about how these should not take place again Acknowledging the validity of error its power dynamics - and extracting from it appraisals which lead to avoidant behaviours Facing up the self not as an opponent but as an ally: What could I have done differently without blaming myself? Compassion: Being compassionate about oneself and accepting personal inadequacies in the framework of knowing thyself

Clarification Questions: What do you mean when you say? How do you understand this? Why do you say that? What exactly does this mean? What do we already know about this? Can you give me an example? Are you sayingor? Can you say that another way?

Questions Probing Assumption: How did you come to this conclusion? What else could we assume? Is this thought based on certain assumptions? How did you choose those assumptions? How did you come up with these assumptions that? How can you verify or disprove that assumption? What would happen if? Do you agree or disagree with? If this happened to a friend/sibling, would you have the same thoughts about them?

Questions about Viewpoints and Perspective: What alternative ways of looking at this are there? What does it do for you to continue to think this way? Who benefits from this? What is the difference between and.? What is it better than? What are the strengths and weaknesses of? How areandsimilar? What wouldsay about it? What if you compared and ? How could you look at this another way?

Questions Analyzing Implications and Consequences: Then what would happen? What are the consequences of that assumption? How could be used to? What are the implications of ? How does.affect? How does fit with what we learned in session before? Why isimportant? What can we assume will happen? What would it mean if you gave up that belief?

Questions about Questions: What is the point of asking that question? Why do you think you asked this question? What does that mean? What would getting an answer either way mean to you? Are you concerned that I dont understand? Please tell me what you think I am missing. I would like to understand what the experience was like for you.

Trained as Psychiatrist developed an interest in psychoanalysis. In attempting to scientifically test psychoanalysis premises about depression he discovered contrary results. In working with depressive patients he realised that often they were expressing negative thoughts which were coming to mind with no prior notice. He termed these thoughts automatic thoughts and concluded that such thoughts were divided into three categories: being negative about oneselfbeing negative about the world-being negative about the future

Negative thinking as an outcome of ones explanation of an incident Emotional appraisal of negative thinking: feeling not good physically; feeling distressed, sad and not in the mood Acting upon such feelings through behaviours which negatively reinforce thoughts to not going away escaping from what needs to be done; avoiding facing why thinking and emotions make one react against oneself

Beliefs
Situation Event

Thoughts

Images
Interpretations

Behaviours Actions Attitudes

Physical Sensations
Emotions

Antisthenes the Cynic Philosopher

Thoughts are either made of quality or quantity

Actions relate to time and space

Emotions are at the disposal of thoughts

Avoidance of problem-solving comes out of ones beliefs that problem will be a neverending experience Coming to the rule for living that I am incapable, therefore I have to suffer in life Maintenance of thoughts and emotions in a vicious circle through avoidant behaviours ...and so on so forth

Antecedents of behaviours
Why I did what I did

Consequences of behaviours The outcome of what I have newly done

New Behaviours What I did what have I done to further it more?

Elenchus or Checking

Ataraxia and Apatheia the outcomes of constructive behaviours

Knowing thyself can lead to constructive behaviours

Interrelationship of thoughts and emotions Cognitive appraisals-emotional appraisals: the one cannot live without the other Negative thoughts and unhelpful emotions maintain negatively reinforced behaviours Interoceptive feelings: the internal/external link to feeling uncomfortably because of thoughts Interventions to restore behaviours start from breaking the cycle between thoughts and emotions

Thoughts

Consequences of emotions through avoidant behaviours

Emotions

Negative method of hypothesis elimination (Antecedent)

Considering hypotheses in relation to their goodness for the self

(Consequence of new behaviours)

Identifying and eliminating hypotheses that lead to contradiction (New behaviours)

Cognitive restructuring or Debating: Identifying irrational thinking using strategies such as logical disputation Psychoeducation: Learning about the irrational thinking; drawing help from inner resources, such as coping skills and strengths Structural decision-making: Looking at the pros and cons through behavioural experiments (predicting the worse / designing the alternative)

Learning is a process of remembering what one needs to restore (changing negative thoughts to positive ones) In questioning oneself appraisals can be altered (cognitive restructuring) One needs always be taught by someone who is well-educated to help one understand oneself (psychoeducation)

Relaxation techniques: Imagery for mental stress management thinking or exploring a thought the individual has been mentally benefited from because it is safe, peaceful and restful Physical Exercise: Very powerful tool especially for clients suffering from affective disorders

The soul is able to see the real meaning of them not a pale depiction of them (imagery) Wisdom is what we acquire from the purity of ideas (relaxation via contemplation) I only know that I know nothing (Awareness of ignorance helps clearing up emotions)

Behavioural exposure: Facing up situations the client is avoiding, such as visiting places the clients thinks he/she is threatened by it. An hierarchical order in behavioural exposure can help the client deciding what is worth to be done first, second, etc... Activity monitoring and scheduling: Writing down what he/she needs to do over the coming week or days and try to keep it on schedule without deviating, i.e. escaping from it

Changing personal ideas you can change the construction of them (behavioural experiment) To repel evil opinions by the good is the noble contest in which humans should engage; it is not an easy task, but it promises true freedom, peace of mind (ataraxia) and a divine command over the emotions (apatheia). We should especially be on our guard against the opinion of pleasure because of its apparent sweetness and charms. The first object of philosophy, therefore, is to purify the mind (behavioural interventions take place when changing of a mindset takes place).

Conscientious relationship to the things of the world so one not to feel threatened by them Bringing to a full attention what one does on a moment-to-moment basis (be mindful about reality) Purpose is a different aspect compared to over-generalisation

Beck, A. T. Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (Eds.) (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. New York, NY: The Guilford Press Hawton, K., Salkowskis, P. M., Kirk, J., & Clark, D. M. (Eds.) (1989). Cognitive Behaviour therapy for Psychiatric Problems: A Practical Guide. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Simmons, J., & Griffiths, R. (2009). CBT for Beginners. London, UK: Sage Westbrook, D., Kennerley, H., & Kirk, J. (2007). An Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: skills and Applications. London, UK: Sage