There are many different therapy approaches. When you enter into therapy, you may not know about the approaches and how your therapist is going to work with you. While you may not have known what it was called, there’s a good chance that you or someone that you know has gone through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or more commonly known as CBT Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a great therapy approach and you may have received this form of therapy without even knowing it. You may have questions about CBT and what it means. No worries! Let’s go over all of your questions regarding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a treatment type that is used by many therapists. CBT is based on the assumption that a person’s thoughts and feelings may be due to faulty thoughts. A therapist will work with you to shift your thinking. This shift will allow you to work towards a healthier life by replacing the negative thoughts and feelings with more constructive, positive thoughts.An example of CBT may be that you become anxious in social situations and begin to avoid them. A therapist may step in and begin to educate you about the fear response that you’re experiencing is actually an irrational trigger. They may teach you how to shift your thoughts and work through the trigger. This could be a combination of changing your thinking, developing an action plan, remaining calm, and relaxing your body.
What issues can CBT help resolve?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a therapy approach that can help with many different mental health conditions and concerns. Some of the many reasons why CBT may be used include: anxiety, depression (1), trauma, ADHD, phobias, and self-esteem issues in addition to many more. As a general rule, CBT is effective when thoughts and behaviors are the core issue.
It may be hard to understand if behaviors are affecting your life. Sometimes, having a second opinion can help you to see how your thoughts and behaviors are affecting your life. These may be wreaking havoc on your life and CBT is a great way to help to change these at the root cause.
Why is CBT Therapy popular?
There are many reasons why CBT is popular. One of the main reasons is that it can be studied and has been extensively researched for more than 50 years. The approach that CBT takes is very effective and has measurable results that can show improvement.
CBT focuses on brief and solution-oriented interventions that can produce intense change. The approach is direct and focused on measurable changes in both of your thoughts and behaviors. This change over time is easily researched and therefore has been exhaustively researched over the last decades.
The other reason why CBT Therapy is popular is because it is effective. By changing your thoughts and behaviors, you can create lasting improvement in many different areas throughout your life. With all of the different concerns and mental health conditions that you may experience, CBT can be incredibly effective and create real change. CBT can help to give us the tools to overcome unpleasant parts of our lives and push through! It’s particularly helpful when combating addiction (2).
What happens in a CBT session?
Starting therapy can be a huge decision. Once you make your appointment and begin your journey you may feel anxious. Your first appointment may be your first time ever seeing a therapist. The first appointment takes care of the business side of things. You may fill out some forms, discuss payment and expectations of the therapist-client relationship. In addition you’ll discuss your goals and current stresses. It’s recommended that you think about your goals before your first session. In addition, you’ll discuss your struggles and current situation to help you and your therapist come up with a treatment plan together.
After your first session, you’ll work with your therapist on the treatment plan. The treatment plan can help you to identify issues and problematic thoughts or behaviors and find ways to change them. Developing a strategy on a piece by piece basis together. One of the main ways to exact change in CBT is by homework.
Why do we get CBT homework and what is it like?
The homework that you receive in CBT is to put the processes that you discussed with your therapist into practice. You’ll apply the techniques and tools that you learned in your sessions in the different aspects of your life that you’re working on. Some examples of homework may include: keeping a journal of your thoughts and emotions, worksheets, reading, and relaxation techniques. In addition to the exercises and techniques, homework may be attending social events, overcoming phobias, and working on your relationships with others.
How long is CBT treatment?
CBT Therapy is designed to be intensive and eliminate symptoms as quickly as possible. While everyone has different issues and mental health conditions that they may be working through, brevity is the main driving force.
This difference highlights a main difference between other therapy approaches and CBT. CBT focuses more on what and how and less on the why. Other therapy approaches will focus on the why and this can lead to drawn out therapy interventions. Due to this direct approach, it’s a great solution for PTSD (3).
How can SilverLake Psychology help?
SilverLake Psychology is a diverse therapist group. We offer CBT, as well as dozens of other therapy approaches, and have hundreds of therapists available. SilverLake Psychology prides ourselves on industry leading customer service, easy billing, and we work with dozens of insurance companies!
SilverLake Psychology understands that the best indicator for client success is the client-therapist relationship. We believe in client informed care and will work with you throughout your journey. In addition, we have hundreds of specialists to make sure that we can help! Our intake team will Mindfully Match you with a therapist that best fits your needs and preferences!
Overview
CBT is an effective therapy treatment for a variety of mental health conditions. If you’re interested in pursuing therapy or have questions about CBT or any other therapy specialty or approach, check out SilverLake Psychology.
References
1 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/
2 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/substance-use-and-mental-health/
