Table 1 Contents of cognitive-behavior counseling sessions
Sessions | Contents of each session |
|---|---|
Session 1 | Participants’ introducing and getting familiar with each other and establishing the first contact, presenting the goals and rules of the group and the important issue of confidentiality, introducing methods and processes of treatment, explanation about and agreement on participatory nature of the sessions and necessity of doing homework, explanation and discussion about the meanings of self-esteem and body image and related factors |
Session 2 | Reviewing contents of the previous session, indicating the effects of cultural, social, and psychological pressures as well as life experiences and biography on self-esteem and body image, stating factors lowering or improving self-esteem, awareness of interactional nature of three systems, i.e. thinking, behavioral, and physiological systems, familiarity with Albert Ellis’ A-B-C model, practicing self-monitoring skills and presenting homework |
Session3 | Reviewing contents of previous sessions, checking homework, recognizing negative self-talks about body image and low self-esteem, practicing and improving positive self-talks about body image and self-worth, teaching deep breathing technique, teaching relaxation and practicing group relaxation with the participation of all members of the group, presenting homework |
Session4 | Reviewing contents of previous sessions, checking homework, analyzing the role of beliefs on body image and self-esteem, taking actions to inhibit maladaptive and negative thoughts and feelings through recognition of self-humiliating beliefs and replacing them with positive and adaptive thoughts, analyzing and challenging general fundamental misconceptions related to appearance and providing logical responses to them, practicing relaxation, presenting homework |
Session 5 | Reviewing contents of previous sessions, checking homework, reviewing vertical arrow, familiarity with advanced vertical arrow and types of beliefs, presenting homework |
Session 6 | Reviewing homework of previous sessions, discussing self-humiliating behaviors concerning body image and self-esteem, training techniques for changing troublesome behavior patterns, practicing relaxation, presenting homework |
Session 7 | Reviewing homework of previous sessions, giving the body its rights and having a good time, training pregnant women for having pleasant times with their bodies and improving their relationships with their bodies through creative involvement and specific exercises for enjoying and admiring their physical beings, training pregnant women for facing their probable physical defects, practicing relaxation as homework |
Session 8 | Reviewing homework and contents of previous sessions, presenting and reviewing techniques for protecting positive body image and self-esteem, reviewing taught strategies for changing negative beliefs, practicing relaxation, getting feedback about the program from participants and providing an opportunity to finish the group therapy program |