Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychological treatment designed to help individuals understand and change the patterns of thinking and behavior that contribute to their emotional and mental distress. It’s based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and that changing negative thought patterns can change how a person feels and acts.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Key Principles:
Identifying Negative Thoughts: CBT helps individuals recognize distorted thinking, often called cognitive distortions. Examples include catastrophizing (expecting the worst), all-or-nothing thinking, and overgeneralizing.
Challenging Negative Thoughts: Once identified, individuals are guided to challenge these negative thoughts by evaluating their accuracy and developing a more realistic perspective.
Behavioral Interventions: CBT includes strategies to change unhelpful behaviors besides addressing thought patterns. For example, someone with anxiety might avoid situations that cause fear, but through CBT, they gradually confront those situations to reduce their anxiety over time.
Skills and Techniques: Individuals learn practical techniques to manage their problems. These might include relaxation techniques, problem-solving strategies, or journaling to monitor thoughts.
Goal-Oriented: CBT is typically focused on specific problems and goals. It’s structured and time-limited, usually lasting between 6 to 20 sessions.
CBT is used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Phobias
- Eating disorders
- Substance abuse
Since CBT is evidence-based, it’s often considered one of the most effective therapies for many conditions. It can be adapted for children and adults and sometimes combined with other treatments, such as medication.
