Review of paper in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 2010, 38,

303-317.

‘Assessing therapy – relevant cognitive capacities’ Sauter et al.

This interesting paper addresses how the effectiveness of CBT with young people maybe influenced by their capacity for self-reflection and insight. It equally applies to adults of all ages. Clinicians who assess clients’ proficiencies in these cognitive capacities can better tailor cognitive behavioural techniques to the client, facilitating engagement and enhancing treatment outcome. It is therefore important that selfreflection and insight is assessed before therapy is provided

The types of attitudes which are positive predictors for effective therapy process (and outcome) are:-

1. I’m usually aware of my thoughts.
2. I’m often confused about how I really feel about things.
3. It’s important to me to evaluate the things I do.
4. I usually have a very clear idea about why I have behaved in a certain way.
5. I find it really interesting to examine what I think about.
6. I often notice that I’m feeling something, but often I don’t know what exactly I’m feeling.
7. I often examine my feelings.

Negative predictors are:-

1. I don’t often think about my thoughts.
2. I’m not really interested in analyzing my behaviour.
3. I rarely spend time ‘self-reflecting’.
4. I don’t really think about why I behave in the way that I behave.
5. Thinking about my thoughts makes me more confused.

This paper helps therapists (and lawyers) understand whether a claimant is ready or accessible to therapy in terms of their self-reflection or insight attitudes. This understandably can lead to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of CBT intervention.