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Teaching the preliminary cognitive conceptualisation based on the characters from fairy tales and literature

Artur Kołakowski1, Agnieszka Pawełczyk2

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
PSYCHIATR. PSYCHOL. KLIN. 2010, 10 (4), p. 303-310
Streszczenie

Conceptualisation of a case in the cognitive-behavioural therapy describes and explains the problems reported by the patient during treatment. Its basic function is focussing the therapy on reducing the treated patient’s stress and increasing his resistance to experienced difficulties. Such purposes can be achieved when conceptualisation meets several functions: sums up the patient’s experiences, normalizes his experiences, promotes involvement, makes complex problems or purposes feasible and organizes consecutive interventions. Furthermore, it identifies the patient’s strong points and suggests how to increase his resistance to stress, proposes the simplest interventions, anticipates and warns of future difficulties, helps to understand the lack of effects in therapy and enables a high quality supervision. For this reason, acquisition of the skills of correct conceptualisation in the cognitive-behavioural model is one of the therapist’s basic skills. This article presents a method of teaching the preliminary cognitive conceptualisation, based on analysis of selected literary figures. Interpreting the behaviour of such fairy-tales characters as: the Little Red Riding Hood, Ugly Duckling, Snow White, Jaś and Małgosia, or Cinderella we can notice how the child’s early experience contributes to disadaptational schema and compensatory schema. Following the experience of the above mentioned main characters we can notice that most of them were in a difficult situation and depending on their views they assumed different strategies: helplessness, active overcoming of difficulties, waiting for other people’s help. The same refers to literary characters: Anna Karenina, Geralt of Rivia (and his sweetheart), Stanisław Wokulski, and Mrs Dulska. We can learn how potential views affect our choices and actions. The examples contained in the article may support the teaching process. However, using this method as a method based on evidence has to be verified empirically.

Słowa kluczowe
case conceptualisation, cognitive conceptualisation, teaching the cognitive-behavioural therapy, schema, childhood experiences