A Temptation Too Great...

So I just found out that my blog is one of the few websites at work that is NOT blocked!! Yay! I am going to have to be careful and not have too much fun with this. Well, today, I just wanted to talk about how awesome I think cognitive therapy is! I am currently taking Counseling Theories at Argosy (my first class in my first semester in my Master's in Mental Health Counseling program at Argosy [wow, that's a lot of prepositions]) and we recently covered behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy (which I have studied in the past on my own). Honestly, it is truly amazing how becoming aware of one's thoughts (especially your automatic thoughts) and how they affect your reactions and behavior can change you. For example, Albert Ellis, the grandfather of cognitive therapy, believed in the ABC model, as seen below:

A. Something happens.
B. You have a belief about the situation.
C. You have an emotional reaction to the belief.

For example:

A. Your employer falsely accuses you of taking money from her purse and threatens to fire you.
B. You believe, “She has no right to accuse me. She's a horrible person!”
C. You feel angry.

If you had held a different belief, your emotional response would have been different: A. Your employer falsely accuses you of taking money from her purse and threatens to fire you.
B. You believe, “I must not lose my job. That would be unbearable.”
C. You feel anxious.

The ABC model shows that A does not cause C. It is B that causes C. In the first example, it is not your employer's false accusation and threat that make you angry; it is your belief that she has no right to accuse you, and that she is a witch. In the second example, it is not her accusation and threat that make you anxious; it is the belief that you must not lose your job, and that losing your job would be unbearable.

The core of this therapy is to increase self-awareness and self-monitoring. By recognizing irrational thoughts and changing them ("Maybe my boss isn't a horrible person; I don't know what she is thinking; maybe she really thinks I stole something. I need to address this situation head on."), our emotions and, consequently, our actions will be more appropriate and effective. Anyway, I have already begun implementing this therapy in my own life. It's so cool to see how quickly it works. I am definitely choosing cognitive therapy as my theoretical orientation. Definitely. :)

New Job, More Time, & Rediscovered Blessing

This past week I began my new job at Cheyenne Elementary School. Every day I visit several ELL students in their classroom and assist them with their assignments and clarify English language concepts for them. I LOVE IT! I see about 20-25 students a day ranging from fourth grade to eighth grade. I have my own little office off of the school library and work 8-3 everyday. I have even already begun to volunteer with the school's new At Risk program to help students who, due to economic, personal, or other circumstances, are deemed "at risk" by the school's intervention specialist. I just love being in a school. It's just the perfect environment for me.

Also, because of my schedule, I get to spend every afternoon and evening with Eddie and Ben. Having the weekends off together is also a big bonus. I get to enjoy hanging out with my boys now and have already noticed how much Ben has grown over the past few weeks. He is saying new words every day. He understands so much, but is also learning to test his limits and our patience! He is becoming bolder in his actions, though he still listens to our admonition, and I attribute it to his growing confidence. Every time I look at him, I see a little boy who is so loving, sensitive, and special and I find myself amazed that Heavenly Father has blessed us with such a wonderful child. Sometimes I wonder if I am learning more from him than perhaps he is learning from us. Funny how oft times our children teach us the attributes that we had planned to teach them.