Stepping Through the Curiosity Door: Engaging Young Patients Through Fun Experiential CBT Procedures
A biographical summary from Robert D. Friedberg, Ph.D., ABPP, ACT‘s presentation at the 2018 Beck Excellence Summit.
CBT is a robust and flexible clinical model allowing for innovation as well as creativity. The current maxim in applying CBT to young patients is “flexibility within fidelity (Kendall et al. 2008).” This is particularly important when working with young patients who would rather be anywhere else other than in a therapy office. Accordingly, this presentation offers several procedures to engage reluctant youngsters in CBT, spark their curiosity, and invite them to participate in various experiential exercises. Increasing the session’s reinforcement value for young patients by making it interesting, matching exercises to their particular context, and dealing with difficult issues with an optimistic, light-handed manner are emphasized. Several procedures including Thought 5-0, Changing Your Tune, Fox Talk, Thought Prospector, Label Fable, Count Dreadula, Improv Theatre, Pop-Up Monkeys, and Egg Pong will be illustrated.
About the research presented at the 2018 Beck Excellence Summit