Wessler Cognitive Appraisal Therapy
Wessler's cognitive appraisal therapy It was developed by the psychologist Richard Wessler, and is focused on the treatment of different personality disorders.
In this article we will know its principles and some of its most important components, as well as his guidelines for three different disorders: histrionic, narcissistic, and dependent.
- Related article: "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: what is it and what principles is it based on?"
Wessler Cognitive Appraisal Therapy: Features
Wessler's cognitive appraisal therapy consists of a cognitive-behavioral orientation therapy, intended to treat personality disorders through an integrated approach.
This approach integrates three types of processes: interpersonal, cognitive and affective. That is to say, addresses cognitive aspects of oneself, others and situations, since he considers that cognitions have an essential role in emotions and in the actions we carry out. But the reverse also occurs, that is, emotions have an important influence on our cognitions and thoughts (this idea comes from Aaron Beck's cognitive model).
Specifically, the therapy is aimed at providing the patient with introspection or self-knowledge that helps them feel better and solve their own difficulties on their own. Your procedure is based above all on suggesting, encouraging and providing explanations for the patient's actions.
- You may be interested in: "Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy"
Focus on psychotherapy
Wessler's cognitive appraisal therapy approach, as we have seen, is integrative. In addition, the therapy is based on a motivational approach and presupposes that behavior is directed by emotions.
The therapy is based on social learning theories and interpersonal therapy, as well as including elements of constructivism. It is designed to treat different personality disorders in a specific way.
His techniques include components of Client-Centered Therapy, Gestalt therapy, and Ellis REBT.
psychological components
Some of the most important components of Wessler Cognitive Assessment Therapy are:
1. The therapeutic relationship
This should be warm and accepting, as well as include appropriate self-disclosures by the therapist. Therapy gives it an essential value for therapeutic change to occur.
2. Attention to emotions
Wesler's therapy gives special value to emotions; especially to shame and self-pity.
These emotions can be used by the patient himself to justify his actions, so it is important that the therapist adequate information about his nature, with the aim that the patient takes responsibility for his own acts.
3. personal rules of life
This is an essential assumption in this therapy; These rules guide the person in their relationships between the cognitive and the social, ethics and morality, and therefore also end up guiding their thoughts and their actions.
Wessler's cognitive assessment therapy pays attention to the patient's personal rules of life, with the aim of identifying them and helping modify them in case they are distorting the reality of the patient, or that they are causing suffering.
4. Safety search maneuvers
They are the actions that the patient develops and that produce certain emotions; these, in turn, end up leading you to experience a sense of security. They can be behavioral or interpersonal.
Therapy also focuses on them, because they provide many clues about how the patient is, thinks and feels.
Personality disorders in which it is applied
As we have seen, Wessler's cognitive appraisal therapy treats different personality disorders. Let's see how their specific assumptions are in three different disorders:
1. histrionic personality
We are going to see some of the guidelines that therapy follows for this type of patient.
First of all, it is important that the therapist focus on working with the patient without reinforcing her histrionic behavior; he can do it by showing attention and interest at the beginning of the therapeutic relationship, and once the link is established (this being more solid), change the approach to a more empathetic one.
He will do this by mirroring the feelings the person is actually having, rather than the dramatic emotions he "plays" or pretends. On the other hand, the therapist will focus on helping the patient to be calm, without being carried away or "dragged" by the attractive stories that the patient tells.
The main techniques that the therapist will use with the histrionic patient will be: self-disclosure, so that the patient does not lose contact with reality; the reframing of the patient's verbalizations and the use of humor to deflate his melodramatic style.
- You may be interested in: "Histrionic Personality Disorder: What is it?"
2. narcissistic personality
For this type of patient, it will be important to address the patient's feeling of being able to demand what he wants from others, through self-disclosure, with the aim of creating dissonances between the patient's (private) version of reality and the therapist's version, considered socially appropriate.
This point will also be worked on, encouraging the patient to feel responsible for his actions, increasing his self-confidence and empowering him to see himself capable of achieving what he sets out to do without the need to take advantage of others others
3. dependent personality
In dependent personality disorder, Wessler's cognitive appraisal therapy focuses on encourage these types of patients to stop being passive and focus on pleasing themselves, instead of constantly trying to please and like others. These types of objectives can be set from the beginning.
Other techniques will be to encourage the patient to take risks outside of therapy, to defend his rights (enhanced his assertiveness) and to make decisions for himself, without depending on the approval of others to do it.
That is, the final objective will be for the patient to learn to be independent; In this way, the therapist will try to make the patient "be his own therapist", increasing his autonomy and self-determination, and helping you place boundaries in your personal relationships.
