Cognitive behavioral therapy might be for you if you’re struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression. Perhaps your family doctor has recommended cognitive behavioral therapy, but you’re unsure what to expect.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely recognized and effective form of therapy that can help individuals address a wide range of mental health conditions and emotional challenges. Unlike traditional talk therapy, CBT focuses on the present moment and empowers you to take an active role in your healing process.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all interconnected. How we think about a situation can influence how we feel and, ultimately, how we react.
For example, if you constantly tell yourself, “I’m a failure,” you will likely feel down and less motivated. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you recognize these negative thought patterns, understand their impact, and replace them with more balanced and positive ones.
How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work?
In a typical CBT session, you and your therapist will identify your specific therapy goals and your challenges.
This might involve discussing past experiences, anxieties, phobias, unhealthy behaviors, and your thoughts and feelings about these issues. You’ll examine how these factors influence each other and your life, with your therapist acting as a supportive guide and partner.
CBT typically lasts for a set number of sessions, although the exact duration varies. A good range is often around 5 to 20 weekly sessions of about 45 minutes each. These sessions provide a safe, non-judgmental space for you to talk openly with a therapist who understands mental health conditions.
Techniques and Tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT isn’t just about talking. Therapists use several techniques and tools to help people find solutions to the specific problems they’re experiencing. One major technique is using homework to help you apply the skills you’re developing in therapy to daily life.
You will work with your therapist to develop personalized goals to help manage your emotions, negative thought patterns, and reactions. This is why finding the right CBT therapist is essential to achieving positive outcomes. Make sure they’re state-certified and have experience in areas that apply to you.
Your therapist can help you recognize problematic thoughts and behaviors to move towards healthy thinking patterns. As a 2023 research article in the National Library of Medicine explains, CBT focuses on having you work collaboratively with your therapist.
Through interactive questions, your therapist helps you learn how to respond positively to stressful or tough situations.
Common Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques
- Journaling: Jotting down negative beliefs you’re struggling with throughout the week, along with possible positive alternatives, is a great way to start noticing your thought patterns and shifting them over time.
- Thought Recording: Recording thoughts and feelings you experience during stressful situations can help you analyze how those situations impact you. As you develop alternative thoughts, you’ll begin to unravel automatic reactions. This can then give way to developing a more balanced perspective.
- Guided Discovery: Here, your therapist asks thought-provoking questions to guide you into exploring alternate points of view. Maybe you blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. Talking these feelings through with a trained professional can help you recognize that type of distorted thinking, allowing you to break free from the harmful self-blame cycle.
What are the benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven effective at treating various issues such as substance use disorder, eating disorders, insomnia, chronic pain, migraines, anxiety, and depression.
One study even found that CBT was often as, if not more, effective than medication at reducing symptoms, especially with anxiety disorders.
In fact, those who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy may even be less likely to relapse after treatment ends compared to those who only take medication.
Because you’re working collaboratively with your therapist to manage the issues at the heart of your problems, you gain knowledge and skills that equip you to face the future. These tools can help you address any recurring anxieties.
Facing your anxieties and past traumas, head-on can be upsetting. However, a skilled CBT therapist will be trained to manage the difficult aspects that may come up in therapy.
You’ll also learn healthy coping skills that empower you to manage and conquer these anxieties. For example, a 2022 study revealed that some dentists incorporate CBT as a way of overcoming patient fear.
Is CBT Effective?
Because cognitive behavioral therapy addresses many issues with its specific, goal-oriented approach, many consider it the gold standard of talk therapies. A 2018 article supports that claim by suggesting that cognitive behavioral therapy is at the forefront of psychotherapy.
This is partly because it often takes fewer sessions than other types of therapy, and extensive research confirms its effectiveness.
Research from 2020 and 2021 even shows promise for virtual and online forms of cognitive behavioral therapy being as effective as traditional therapy.
This makes CBT a very accessible option for those seeking more than just medication. Whether you prefer in-person or virtual sessions, CBT is likely an option for you.
Things To Consider Before CBT
If you are considering CBT, it’s important to be proactive and make sure you find the best option for you. Talking to people you trust, like your primary doctor, can be a good place to start; they may be able to provide recommendations.
Ask yourself what kind of emotional or mental challenges you’re hoping to address, as this can also be helpful when talking to potential therapists.
Be sure to find out what your insurance will cover regarding mental health. It’s also important to check a therapist’s background and education, as there are different types of mental health professionals who are licensed and certified to deliver talk therapy.
To learn more, you can reach out to our Professionals here.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is Effective
If you’re looking to take proactive steps in managing stress, anxiety, and negative feelings, cognitive behavioral therapy may help. Cognitive behavioral therapy is structured, collaborative, and utilizes a combination of effective and goal-oriented tools.
These include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy techniques, and journaling to help you recognize and shift unhealthy thinking patterns and actions that keep you from achieving overall well-being.