What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). You work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist or therapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. CBT can be a very helpful tool ― either alone or in combination with other therapies ― in treating mental health disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or an eating disorder. But not everyone who benefits from CBT has a mental health condition. CBT can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations
When is it Used?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat a wide range of issues. It's often the preferred type of psychotherapy because it can quickly help you identify and cope with specific challenges. It generally requires fewer sessions than other types of therapy and is done in a structured way.
CBT is a useful tool to address emotional challenges. For example, it may help you:
- Manage symptoms of mental illness
- Prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms
- Treat a mental illness when medications aren't a good option
- Learn techniques for coping with stressful life situations
- Identify ways to manage emotions
- Resolve relationship conflicts and learn better ways to communicate
- Cope with grief or loss
- Overcome emotional trauma related to abuse or violence
- Cope with a medical illness
- Manage chronic physical symptoms
Mental health disorders that may improve with CBT include:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Phobias
- PTSD
- Sleep disorders
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Substance use disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Sexual disorders
How It Works
CBT works by changing people's attitudes and their behavior by focusing on the thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes that are held (a person's cognitive processes) and how these processes relate to the way a person behaves, as a way of dealing with emotional problems.
- CBT is based on an ever-evolving formulation of the client and their problems in cognitive terms.
- CBT requires a good client-therapist relationship.
- CBT emphasizes collaboration and active participation.
- CBT is goal-oriented and problem focused.
- CBT initially emphasizes the present.
- CBT is educative; it aims to teach the client to be his/her own therapist, and emphasizes relapse prevention.
- CBT aims to be time limited.
- CBT sessions are structured.
- CBT teaches patients to identify, evaluate, and respond to their dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs.
- CBT uses a variety of techniques to change thinking, mood, and behavior.
What to Expect
- the promotion of self-awareness and emotional intelligence by reading your emotions and distinguishing healthy from unhealthy feelings
- understanding how distorted perceptions and thoughts contribute to painful feelings
- the rapid reduction of symptoms with an emphasis on examining your current situation and solving current problems
- the development of self-control by learning specific techniques to identify and challenge distorted thinking
- prevention of future episodes of emotional distress and development of personal growth by change core beliefs that are often at the heart of your suffering.
