CBTReferee App Provides On-the-Go Support for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- CBTReferee, a new app for the iPhone and Android, provides users with mobile tools to assist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - a type of psychotherapy that involves journaling and reflecting to deter dysfunctional emotions and feelings.  Simple and convenient, CBTReferee supplies a platform for users to jot down their thoughts and learn from them while on the go.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, 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 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.

"I found myself always needing to carry around a notebook to practice CBT, since negative thoughts and feelings happen at random," said Andrew Arrow, creator of CBTReferee.  "As a result, I decided to build a simple app for my own use. Finding it personally effective, I decided to put it in the app store, not really knowing if it would be useful for others," he added. The feedback he received convinced him otherwise. CBTReferee sales have been increasing on a weekly basis and based on its reviews, has provided some real value to its users.

CBTReferee can be activated on the user's phone whenever and wherever a negative thought occurs.  The three simple steps deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in an easy, structured manner.

1. CBTReferee directs the user to type out the negative thought.
2. The next screen provides a list of ten potential fallacies that are possibly present in the statement. Some of these include: Nothing or All (black and white thinking where one small flaw kills an entire concept), Conclusion Jumping (assuming facts that don't exist), Emotions as Evidence (assuming that if you feel a certain way, it must be true), and many others. Users scroll through the list and select the fallacies that apply to their negative statement.
3. The user is presented with a type-in screen entitled, "Referee Says." On this screen, based on the statement and the fallacies chosen, the user is prompted to type in an objective assessment to negate the negative statement.

The app also keeps a "thought record" allowing users to reference previous thoughts and notice patterns in the way that they think.

"The power of CBT comes from actually taking the time to write down your thoughts," adds 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.

About CBTReferee

CBTReferee, an app designed to assist in delivering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is available for the iPhone and Android.  Written and designed by Andrew Arrow, CBTReferee assists in helping to relieve symptoms of depression and COD among other emotional disorders.  Visit www.cbtreferee.com for more information.

SOURCE CBTReferee