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CBT 101: Understanding the Basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT, is a type of psychotherapy treatment that is used to help people manage their thoughts and behaviours. At its core, CBT focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours, thereby improving emotional regulation and developing healthier coping strategies.

 

The basis behind CBT treatment comes from the well-researched theory that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours have an influence on one another, and that changing one of these elements can help alter the others. For example, changes to negative self-talk can encourage increased participation in worthwhile activities and thereby help improve depressed mood.

The main goals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 

There are a few key goals that CBT treatment aims to achieve: 

 

  • Identify patterns of unhealthy or inaccurate thinking. These include unhelpful tendencies like jumping to conclusions, catastrophising and black-and-white thinking.

 

  • Examining the validity of biased beliefs and thought patterns to determine if they are helpful and/or realistic or irrational and excessively focused on the unlikely.

 

  • Identify unrealistically negative or otherwise distorted thoughts and consider alternatives that are based more on evidence, likelihood and reasonableness.

 

  • Gradually reduce emotional reactions and discomfort by learning to challenge cognitive distortions and replace them with more balanced interpretations.

 

  • Develop coping strategies and problem-solving skills to manage emotional responses more effectively.

 

  • Change behaviours and habits that do not serve the client well by setting progressive, achievable goals.

 

The CBT treatment process

 

CBT is meant to be a very “hands-on” approach that involves identifying specific problems to work on. The general treatment process involves:

 

  • Conducting a comprehensive assessment to fully understand the client’s history, problems, symptoms, beliefs and behaviours.

 

  • Setting agreed-upon treatment goals to help solve current issues and limit future problems.

 

  • Educating clients on how their symptoms perpetuate and how CBT can interrupt this cycle by learning how their thoughts, feelings and behaviours interconnect.

 

  • Formulating a structured treatment plan that may involve gradual exposure tasks, behavioural experiments, cognitive strategies, role-playing, behavioural activation tasks and more.

 

  • Incorporating these strategies into therapy sessions and a plan should be created for the client to practise tasks between sessions. Constantly reviewing, evaluating, and making changes to your treatment throughout this process will be necessary. 

 

  • Gradually reducing treatment as new behaviours and thought patterns become habitual. Integrating gains into everyday life.

 

How can CBT help with specific issues?

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the gold-standard treatment for a range of mental health concerns. It is heavily researched and provides a strong framework for creating individualised treatment plans. 

 

It has been shown to be effective in managing a range of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, PTSD and many other concerns. 

However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all program. One person’s CBT programme should be different from the next. This is a major strength of a well-formulated CBT treatment program; it provides a framework from which strategies can be taken and specifically tailored to you.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows this by providing clients with evidence-based practical strategies to help improve their mental well-being. By working to change the way they process information and behave, these skills can help manage future challenges more effectively, reducing the likelihood of relapse.

 

Enquire about psychological therapy at Boyce & Dale Anxiety and Mood Disorders Clinic

 

If you’d like to know more about how CBT treatment (and its subtypes, including Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) can help you manage emotions and mental health, get in touch with our team at Boyce & Dale Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Our Clinical Psychologists can provide the support and tools you need to take control of your mental health. 

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