Cognitive-behavioral therapy. What is it and what does it consist of?

In psychology there are different types of therapies. The best known to all is psychoanalysis, but despite this, it is not the most widely used. One of the therapies that is most used today is cognitive-behavioral. It is a therapy with a considerably high efficiency through scientific studies, so it has a solid foundation.

 

What does it consist of?

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) combines cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. It focuses on emotions, thoughts, actions, and physical sensations. It also shows patients how everyone can have an effect on another person. CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) is used mostly to treat disorders, including anxiety, phobias, and depression.

The presupposition of CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) is that both our thoughts and behaviors have an effect on us and others as well. The therapy analyzes learned behaviors and behaviors that show a negative thought pattern to change them to positive ones.

Unlike other types of therapy, CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) focuses on the present and the future. Although past events and experiences are considered during the same therapy, the focus is more on current problems.

CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) is inspired by 2 different psychological approaches.

  • Cognitive approach.
  • Behavioral approach.

 

What is a CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) session like?

CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) can be applied individually or in a group. Whichever is chosen, the relationship that is generated with the therapist-patient must be collaborative. This means that the patient as well as the therapist must actively participate during the therapies.

Depending on each case, a CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) therapy can last between 6 weeks to 6 months. Generally, one session per week is attended, each one lasting 1 hour. First, the therapist will ask the patient what has led him to attend therapy. During this process, you will have an opportunity to discuss what the patient would like to achieve with the therapies.

The therapist may or may not request that tasks be performed outside of the consultation and then discuss how they are functioning during the weekly sessions. The objective is that the patient can feel capable of carrying out the work only in their daily life.

 

How does the CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) work?

CBT makes sense of what can feel like an overwhelming problem. It breaks down into manageable parts. These small parts would be the thoughts, actions, feelings and physical sensations.

CBT aims to make the patient realize that there are other ways to react to situations and thus avoid falling into negative cycles. You learn to recognize thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

 

Why do people have negative thoughts?

These negative thoughts stem almost in their 99% from childhood. And they quickly become an automatic reaction. A clear example is when the parents did not pay attention to the young son. What can be associated in adult life as rejection. This leads to problems when one person faces failure, as the automatic reaction to failure is that others will reject it as well.

CBT would aim to explain why people think this way, and thus help them find new ways of thinking. Through different tasks that the therapist will give, the person will be able to face the fears of failure, for example.

 

Coping skills

CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) can teach you skills you need to help you deal with different problems. The hope is that once you are armed with these new coping skills, you will be able to address problems in the future when therapy is over.

 

What skills could you learn with CBT?

  • If you suffer from anxiety, you can discover through therapy how to avoid situations that can really increase your fears. Coping with fears in a gradual and manageable way. You gain confidence in yourself and in your abilities to overcome difficulties.
  • If you suffer from depression, the therapist may ask you to write down your thoughts so that he or she can explore them more realistically. This way you would gain perspective and break a negative cycle.
  • If you find it difficult to relate to others, you can learn to consider people’s motivations instead of thinking the worst almost immediately.

 

Who can benefit from CBT ?

CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) is ideal for those with specific problems. Since it is practical and focuses on finding solutions. That’s why it works well for those who:

  • Have depression or anxiety.
  • They have eating disorders.
  • They suffer from PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • They have an addiction.
  • Those who want to change their behavior.
  • Those who have anger problems.
  • Those who suffer from insomnia.
  • Those with phobias.
  • And those with obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Although CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ) does not alleviate physical ailments, it is used to help people cope with emotional distress from their condition and thus achieve higher levels of stress.

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