CBTReferee, which is a new app for the iPhone and Android, provides users with mobile tools to assist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, for those of you not familiar, is a ‘psychotherapeutic approach that aims to solve problems concerning negative emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal?oriented, systematic procedure. This treatment requires the patient to jot down negative thoughts or feelings, analyze them by noting cognitive traps such as generalization or catastrophic thinking, and finally, writing down a healthier statement that supports positive feelings’.
The problem, says Andrew Arrow (the creator of the App), is that negative thoughts don’t always occur in a therapist’s office, or when you have a pad and pen handy. That’s where CBTReferee comes in!
“The power of CBT comes from actually taking the time to write down your thoughts,” says Arrow. “A major caveat is that people try CBT and never get very far because they attempt to do the exercises mentally without ever writing anything down – whether it be because they don’t have paper and a pen on hand or because their thoughts can be off?putting. In this respect, CBTReferee provides a convenient, easy option.”
CBTReferee is available through Apple iTunes and the Android market for $4.99/£2.99
CBTReferee / £2.99 (UK) [iTunes link]