4 Ways that South Boulder Counseling redesigns CBT Therapy for Aspies
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been proven effective as a treatment for anxiety and depression with both neurotypical and ASD clients. CBT focused on changing our thoughts, or cognitions. In therapy, we work through distortions in the thoughts because the thoughts are what cause the emotions.
It is an almost ideal form of therapy for many Aspies, but I have found that I usually need to make the following 4 modifications.
Get rid of figurative language
Traditional CBT uses a lot of metaphors. Instead of using hypothetical examples, we practice CBT with concrete examples from your life.
Not make assumptions
Aspies don’t make the same distortions as neurotypicals and sometimes have a hyper-logical outlook on life. I make sure I am asking questions rather than making assumptions.
Create a clear plan for treatment
This is a good idea for all clients, but especially important with Aspies. We want our CBT work to have tangible goals and a predictable finish line. Expectations for therapist and client are explicit.
Make sure I am asking: How am I doing?
One of my favorite aspects of working with Aspies is the honest feedback. Asking for and receiving my clients’ perspective helps me become a better therapist. When working with Aspies, I will consistently check that my CBT techniques are working.
If not, then we modify. CBT is not the only tool at our disposal and I will work tirelessly to find the techniques that do fit with my unique neurodiverse clients.
Learn more about how ASD Counseling at South Boulder Counseling can help you here.
