Creative CBT: Inventiveness, imagery and interest

Abstract

Accessible SummaryThis article is about helping someone with a learning disability manage their feelings using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).CBT is one way psychologists use to help people manage their feelings.CBT can be difficult for people with learning disabilities.This article describes how CBT was changed to make it easier for someone with a learning disability to understand.SummaryA case example of a man with a mild learning disability, anxiety and anger is presented to illustrate a range of practical and visual techniques that were used to adapt CBT concepts for people with learning disabilities. A number of techniques were employed in order to develop the client’s understanding of their formulation and intervene with the cognitive, behavioural and physical elements within it. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from the client and his family demonstrate that positive outcomes were achieved over eight sessions. This paper demonstrates some of the creative ways in which CBT can be used with people with learning disabilities in a meaningful and accessible manner.