What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
The term "cognitive" refers to our thoughts, perceptions, interpretations, and beliefs. Many psychological issues are associated with habits in thinking, including biased beliefs about ourselves, others, the world around us, and the future. Our behaviors or activities in which we engage also affect our emotional state. If left unchecked, negative automatic thinking and behavior patterns can lead to feelings such as depression, stress, or anxiety. They also largely affect our relationships with others.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a short-term psychotherapy, which emphasizes collaboration between client and therapist. More focused than many other types of treatment, the course of therapy usually is three to six months, depending on the individual's particular issues.
In therapy, the client and therapist are actively involved in identifying specific thinking and behavior patterns that may be giving rise to problems. As ingrained beliefs and contributing behaviors are revealed, new ways of perceiving, feeling, and acting can begin to take shape. For couples, uncovering negative behavior patterns, discussing perceptions, and experimenting with new ways of interacting can improve relationships (click on "Relationshps" above).
The CBT Model In a Nutshell
The CBT model suggests that in any given situation, there are 3 primary factors involved. One factor to consider pertains to our thoughts, opinions, beliefs, expectations etc. These represent our cognitions, in other words, what is going through our mind at the time. Another factor relates to our behaviors or actions, what we do in a given situation. This also includes our physiology (heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, etc.). The third factor to consider is our emotional state, the feelings we have, our mood. While each of these three areas can be thought of as distinct entities, they are all interrelated and have a large influence on each other. In fact, a change in any of these three factors results in changing the other two to some degree (see the diagram below).
The term "cognitive" refers to our thoughts, perceptions, interpretations, and beliefs. Many psychological issues are associated with habits in thinking, including biased beliefs about ourselves, others, the world around us, and the future. Our behaviors or activities in which we engage also affect our emotional state. If left unchecked, negative automatic thinking and behavior patterns can lead to feelings such as depression, stress, or anxiety. They also largely affect our relationships with others.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a short-term psychotherapy, which emphasizes collaboration between client and therapist. More focused than many other types of treatment, the course of therapy usually is three to six months, depending on the individual's particular issues.
In therapy, the client and therapist are actively involved in identifying specific thinking and behavior patterns that may be giving rise to problems. As ingrained beliefs and contributing behaviors are revealed, new ways of perceiving, feeling, and acting can begin to take shape. For couples, uncovering negative behavior patterns, discussing perceptions, and experimenting with new ways of interacting can improve relationships (click on "Relationshps" above).
The CBT Model In a Nutshell
The CBT model suggests that in any given situation, there are 3 primary factors involved. One factor to consider pertains to our thoughts, opinions, beliefs, expectations etc. These represent our cognitions, in other words, what is going through our mind at the time. Another factor relates to our behaviors or actions, what we do in a given situation. This also includes our physiology (heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, etc.). The third factor to consider is our emotional state, the feelings we have, our mood. While each of these three areas can be thought of as distinct entities, they are all interrelated and have a large influence on each other. In fact, a change in any of these three factors results in changing the other two to some degree (see the diagram below).
Our cognitions (thoughts/beliefs) are heavily influenced by our environment, our culture, and the events we've lived through. When we are in a particular situation, our THOUGHTS about that event largely determine how we will FEEL about it and what ACTION we might or might not take. Similarly our mood can flavor how we think about a particular situation or how we behave. And, our behavior can influence our thoughts and emotions. The diagram above shows how each of these three aspects (Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors) each impact the others.
Because our beliefs, expectations, and general philosophy on life are so ingrained within us, they affect us in ways that might not be readily apparent to us. As we move through life, without even realizing it, we create our own personal rule-book of life, based on our experiences. We tend to take this rule-book as fact and live our lives according to it, without question. Imagine if our government used the original U.S. Constitution of the United States as it was originally written, without any of the amendments that have been made over the years; you can see how laws that may have served some purpose in the past would be of no use and possibly cause great harm if left unchecked. Just as our country needs to reevaluate its Constitution and make necessary changes, we need to unveil our personal rule-books. In this way, we can keep what might still be helpful today, while challenging and amending what might be causing us more harm than good.
In CBT, you will engage in specific techniques to help uncover your automatic thoughts, beliefs, and expectations, allowing you to mindfully decide what might be keeping you stuck in feeling depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. You will also better understand how your beliefs, expectations, and behavior patterns may be giving rise to negative interactions with others. Learning new, more realistic, ways to view yourself, others, and your future in therapy as well as experimenting with new behaviors with the support of your therapist may be the key to improving your mood, lowering stress, or improving your relationships.
Because our beliefs, expectations, and general philosophy on life are so ingrained within us, they affect us in ways that might not be readily apparent to us. As we move through life, without even realizing it, we create our own personal rule-book of life, based on our experiences. We tend to take this rule-book as fact and live our lives according to it, without question. Imagine if our government used the original U.S. Constitution of the United States as it was originally written, without any of the amendments that have been made over the years; you can see how laws that may have served some purpose in the past would be of no use and possibly cause great harm if left unchecked. Just as our country needs to reevaluate its Constitution and make necessary changes, we need to unveil our personal rule-books. In this way, we can keep what might still be helpful today, while challenging and amending what might be causing us more harm than good.
In CBT, you will engage in specific techniques to help uncover your automatic thoughts, beliefs, and expectations, allowing you to mindfully decide what might be keeping you stuck in feeling depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. You will also better understand how your beliefs, expectations, and behavior patterns may be giving rise to negative interactions with others. Learning new, more realistic, ways to view yourself, others, and your future in therapy as well as experimenting with new behaviors with the support of your therapist may be the key to improving your mood, lowering stress, or improving your relationships.
