What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
What is cognitive behavioral therapy, commonly abbreviated as CBT, is a type of treatment that is purposely used to examine the relationships between feelings, thoughts and behaviors. It works by exploring certain patterns of thinking that causes self-destructive beliefs and actions that control these thoughts, and modifies such patterns to improve coping.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
How is it Different?
CBT is somewhat different from the conventional psycho-dynamic psychotherapy because, contrary to the traditional psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, the client and the therapist actively work hand in hand (in a structured way) to support the patient during recovery.
Anyone seeking for CBT can expect the therapist to be goal-oriented and problem-focused in addressing the symptoms of mental disorder. In addition, CBT involves vigorous intervention.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a very useful tool when it comes to reversing mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. However, it is imperative to understand that not everyone who benefits from CBT has a mental health disorder. It is an equally effective tool used to help people understand healthier approaches to better manage any stressful life situation.
Application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT encompasses the utilization of practical self-help approaches, which are exclusively designed to bring about immediate positive changes in the individual’s quality of life. It can therefore be integrated to reverse a wide array of psychological challenges such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Uncontrollable anger
- Irrational fears
- Hypochondria
- Anxiety disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Substance abuse, such as drinking, smoking and other drug use
- Insomnia
- Problem gambling
- Eating disorders
- Relationship/marriage problems
- Certain behavioral or emotional issues in children and teenagers.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
In essence, the principle behind CBT is that human behaviors and thoughts have a significant impact on each other. By changing the way people behave and think, we can alter the way people feel and think with respect to life. In counseling, CBT serves to examine negative thought patterns and learned behaviors or what I refer to as “conditioning” with the view of changing them in a more positive way.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Approaches
1. Cognitive approach
The cognitive process refers to the person’s thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and attitudes. The cognitive aspect of CBT focuses on the way an individual’s thoughts fuel or trigger specific feelings and behaviors. During the CBT counseling, a therapist will help the person understand their negative thought patterns. How it affects them and what they need to do to change them.
2. Behavioral approach
During counseling, a therapist identifies maladaptive or destructive behaviors of a person and helps them to understand them. Actually, a therapist will explain why such behaviors occur and how to adjust them for a better, healthier life. See my approach for more info.
CBT looks at how behavioral and cognitive processes affect each other. It focuses on helping individuals get out of negative cycles. The emphasis on cognitive and behavioral approaches depends on the nature of the problem one is facing.
- Focuses on teaching such a person that it is absolutely possible to control their negative thoughts and emotions.
- Emphasizes getting better, not just feeling better,
- Creates and nurtures long-term results. The underlying cause of the matter is rectified.
- CBT minimizes the likelihood a session will turn out to be a “chat session”.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy is cross-cultural. It is based on the universal laws of human behavior.
- Cost effective.
The Cognitive behavioral therapy approach has many advantages. Many people in recovery have discovered that CBT plays a key role to help overcome unhealthy behaviors and habits. CBT is useful in all aspects of life. It is straight forward. This collaborative approach blends well with other styles.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Seek Help Today
Seek the help you need today. Individuals, couples, families and marriages can all benefit from this approach. Call now for a free 30 minute phone session and let’s get started.
