Mental health articles

Verbal discussion techniques of generalized anxiety disorder

Verbal techniques are central to the practice of cognitive therapy and involve questioning, Socratic dialogue and guided discovery. Socratic dialogue (or Socratic questioning) is a method of questioning derived from Plato’s accounts of the Greek philosopher Socrates’ style of discussion when helping people understand philosophical points. Guided discovery refers to the process that involves the therapist helping the client identify the meaning underlying their appraisals and often utilizes the ‘downward arrow technique’. Specific verbal techniques are used to help the client identify patterns in their thinking and to facilitate the client challenging their own thoughts. This process requires particular care and skill as it important that the client is encouraged to be aware of and challenge their own thoughts and does not feel belittled or ridiculed by the therapist.

Tags: anxiety, disorder, generalized anxiety disorder