Control-Mastery Goes for Goals

I want to thank Drs. Persons and Pretzer for their interesting comments contrasting Control-Mastery Therapy (CMT) with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Although it may not be clear from this first session with Kathy, CMT totally agrees with the cognitive-behavioral focus on goals. A Control-Mastery therapist continually focuses on understanding the patient's goals throughout treatment. Goals are the utmost priority. Where CMT differs from cognitive-behavioral therapy is in how we view the best way to accomplish these goals. In our view, the best way to accomplish goals is to disconfirm the underlying beliefs that obstruct the patient's movement toward those goals. We find that symptom remission generally accompanies disconfirming the beliefs. In this first hour with Kathy, I was extremely interested in the details surrounding her depression; her irritability and hostility, however, in even discussing the word "depression" precluded such a description. If you follow the case further, however, you will hear Kathy enthusiastically describe the details of her depression in response to my interest in HER goals of emotional growth. In fact, throughout the first year of this treatment, Kathy's goals play a major role in our work together.

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