What's the most effective type of therapy? (with Matthew Smout)

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Jan 29, 2025

Dr. Matthew Smout, a seasoned clinical psychologist and Senior Clinic Supervisor at the University of South Australia, dives into the nuances of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He unpacks common CBT techniques and the impact of negative core beliefs on mental health. The discussion also critiques the reliability of psychotherapy research and questions whether CBT is always the best option compared to other therapies like ACT. Additionally, they explore the patient-therapist relationship's importance in achieving effective outcomes.

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INSIGHT

CBT Overview

CBT helps people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
It focuses on how thinking affects mood and actions in situations.

INSIGHT

Cognitive Techniques

A cognitive technique involves monitoring and writing down thoughts in specific situations.
This helps identify anxiety-provoking thought patterns like negative self-judgment.

ADVICE

Evaluating Negative Thoughts

Examine evidence for and against negative thoughts to assess their validity.
Shift attention to external evidence rather than internal feelings to form healthier thoughts.

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Read the full transcript here.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)? What are the "cognitive" and "behavioral" parts of CBT? What are some of its most common techniques? What are "negative core beliefs"? What does CBT have to say about situations in which problems come from a person's environment rather than from within the person's mind? What makes a particular belief or behavior "good"? How do we know how effective various psychotherapeutic treatments are? How much can we rely on meta-analyses about psychotherapy treatments? Is CBT the most evidence-based psychotherapy treatment? What are CBT's main competitors? Is CBT significantly better than its competitors in all respects, or are there situations in which other treatment types have a significant advantage? How can you figure out exactly what a therapist does when they list a dozen different treatment modalities on their website? Can all treatment modalities be similarly effective if they have the right set of core components? How do antidepressants compare in efficacy to CBT? When should one, the other, or both in conjunction be used to treat a patient?

Dr. Matthew Smout is a clinical psychologist in private practice and the Senior Clinic Supervisor of the University of South Australia Psychology Clinic, where he teaches and trains postgraduate students in clinical psychology. His research interests focus on psychotherapy, especially in making routine practice more effective. He has published on schema therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and the development of questionnaires for evaluating psychotherapy. Email him at matthew.smout@unisa.edu.au, or learn more about him at his website, drmatthewsmout.com.

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Spencer Greenberg — Host / Director
Josh Castle — Producer
Ryan Kessler — Audio Engineer
Uri Bram — Factotum
WeAmplify — Transcriptionists

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