Introduction & Theoretical Background
A case formulation (case conceptualisation) can be thought of as any way of helping a client to understand what their difficulties are, where they originated, and what keeps them going. CBT case formulations often have 5 ingredients:
- Presenting problem(s)
- Predisposing factors which made the individual vulnerable to the problem
- Precipitating factors which triggered the problem
- Perpetuating factors such as mechanisms which keep a problem going or unintended consequences of an attempt to cope with the problem
- Protective factors