ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) session structure. It discusses session structure components. Cognitive behavioral therapists believe that interventions to structure the therapy session provide an important opportunity for clients to learn the skills. If therapist conducts a few sessions without much structure as they gather information and formulate a treatment plan, clients might begin to develop the idea that CBT is loose and unstructured, and that the primary purpose is for them to ventilate about their problems. The brief mood check typically conducted at or near the beginning of a session, is a quick tool to collect quantitative information about symptoms that are the focus of treatment. Thus, near the beginning of the session, typically after the brief mood check and the bridge from the previous session, the therapist asks the client to collaborate in setting a session agenda.
