What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?
What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy?
Maybe you've heard of it before. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT, is a therapeutic approach that has been proven to be effective for treating generalized anxiety disorders, depression, substance use disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, eating disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Psychological therapists who practice CBT believe the way people think about themselves influence their behavior as a whole.
How Cognitive Therapy Works
It is typically used to help people control the thoughts that negatively affect their behavior and feelings, so while it is used in specific disorders, CBT can actually be beneficial for everyone beyond their mental health conditions as it focuses on giving people awareness of their thought process and coping strategies for emotional difficulties.
The therapy itself works by reframing thought patterns and creating new outcomes for certain thoughts and behaviors. CBT is known as a behavioral therapy and it is rooted in the theory that we have the ability to change our behaviors given awareness of our unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior. Sometimes all it takes is a third-party perspective to bring our awareness to these harmful thought and behavior patterns that we are stuck in.
Therapeutic Approaches & Theories Underlying Behavioral Therapy
According to behavioral theory, it is possible for people to bring awareness to behaviors they didn't know or notice before and change them. Rather than focusing only on the unconscious causes of behavior, behavioral therapy (like CBT) can help you learn how to change your behavioral patterns by learning how to observe patterns and use healthy coping skills. Behavioral treatment primarily concentrates on the present and possible changes you can make. Most people use this method as a treatment for anxiety, depression or panic disorder.
What conditions can cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treat?
Cognitive behavior therapy can help manage and prevent various mental and physical disorders. Psychotherapists use cognitive behavioral therapies in the treatment of many mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression when used alone as therapy. Research shows that CBT can be used to improve the management of non psychopathological disorders.
How do I find a licensed mental health professional who specializes as a Cognitive behavioral therapist?
The umbrella of "therapist" includes psychologists, psychiatrists (medical doctors who can prescribe drugs), psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers. To find a therapist who specializes in CBT, you can google sites like Psychology Today. Be sure to pick a few therapists as sometimes you will feel you don't mesh with the first therapist you meet with. This is normal.
Choosing your therapist can be a difficult process since you do want to feel connected and supported by the person you speak with. Finding the right fit can take time, and you aren't alone in that process. It is also possible to find a therapy provider through local and state psychology societies, like Psychology Today, or ask for a recommendation from your local doctor's office.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work?
Cognitive behavioral therapy completed through talk therapy aims to improve cognitive function by focusing on theory and the development of skills-based dialogue and coping skills. The therapy offers an open and nonjudgmental environment where you can talk to a mental healthcare professional whose objective skills can assist in overcoming your difficulties. Cognitive behavioural therapy sessions generally last for a short period of time (usually between 5-20 sessions). The effects are learned over time, so the results take time. However, CBT can often take longer than that and require uncomfortable work as it asks you to reconsider some of your beliefs and habitual thought patterns.
What you can expect
Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually done individually, in a group, with a family member, or with someone who shares similar issues. Online resources make CBT possible, particularly when living within a region without local psychiatric facilities.
Your first therapy session
Your first session is usually conducted by a professional psychotherapist who gathers the most detailed information about you and asks you about your needs. The therapist is likely going to ask what is the current state and what it was in the past in relation to physical and psychological conditions. Your therapist may also consider whether you could use other treatments. An initial session provides a chance for the patient to interview his/her therapist for the first time to see if they think they can work together for longer. It may take several sessions before your doctor understands your condition and concerns, so while you don't have to stick with the first therapist you meet with, finding someone you want to work with over a period of time is key for your healing journey.
What does a therapist do in a CBT session?
CBT consists generally in analyzing the beliefs and feelings that negatively impact the life of the individual and learning new ways of cognitive behavioral interventions or reframing those negative thoughts or behaviors. Your therapist can assist you by giving you calming strategies to overcome difficult situations. Often a cognitive behavioral psychologist assigns homework to help you practice skills learned during therapy such as ways to replace self-criticism and journaling.
Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT aims to get you out of negative thought and behavioral patterns. It analyzes our thinking and feelings and how they influence our behavior as individuals. In fact, a person that often thinks about airplane crashes, runway accidents, or more might not be comfortable with flying. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people understand how to better understand their surroundings and reframe those thoughts.
Change Can Be Difficult
Initially many people say they recognize how some ideas they have are not necessarily healthy, but just having awareness of their thoughts is not sufficient enough to change them. That's where CBT comes in to teach coping mechanisms and skills so you can flourish in your mental health and thrive in the relationships in your life.
The Flourishing Way has young adult and high school groups that focus on mindfulness, group processing, and movement. Contact our team today to get your questions answered.