Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a type of evidence-based psychotherapy. This means research has demonstrated that it is more effective than some other types of treatment for certain issues. CBT is considered the treatment of choice (over medication and other types of psychotherapy) for some things that lead a person to see a mental health professional, including panic disorder and some types of depression.
CBT can help people reach specific goals. Goals addressed through CBT can involve:
- Feeling better—happier, more calm or confident, less afraid, etc.
- Acting or behaving differently—Not avoiding situations due to fear, smoking or drinking less, communicating more effectively, eating differently
- Coping more effectively with or suffering less as a result of medical problems
People who have participated in other types of psychotherapy will sometimes find CBT to be quite different than what they have experienced previously. Whereas therapists following other theoretical orientations might emphasize finding childhood causes for problems, CBT is present-oriented, and focuses on things you can do now to try to feel better or reach your desired outcomes. CBT therapists are more active during sessions than some other types of psychotherapists, focusing on active interventions beyond listening while you talk about your feelings (although that happens too, of course). CBT aims to help you become your own therapist instead of assuming you will be in therapy a long time to deal with every situation with your therapist’s help.
Although events certainly impact our life and mood, CBT therapists believe that our feelings are influenced more by the way we think about the events and the behavioral responses we choose to them than by the events themselves. CBT can help you impact the way you feel by becoming more aware of these thoughts and behaviors and choosing different responses. This takes practice, so CBT usually involves work outside of the therapy sessions. Things get better much faster when you have all the hours in your week to work on them, as opposed to just the time you spend in the therapy office.
Research has shown CBT to be an effective treatment for a great many conditions. Here is a partial list:
- Panic disorder
- OCD
- Social anxiety
- Phobias
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- Insomnia
- Health anxiety
- Disordered eating
CBT is not what everyone is looking for. Some people go to therapy because they just want someone to talk to, someone to listen. If this sounds like you, you may find CBT’s focus on making changes somewhat frustrating and prefer supportive psychotherapy. Other people are most interested in figuring out what causes them to feel or behave as they do. If this describes your interest you may prefer insight-oriented psychotherapy, since CBT is more designed to improve whatever brings you to therapy than trying to identify causes.
If you’re not sure whether CBT is right for you, contact me for a free phone consultation and we will discuss it. A great deal of additional information about CBT can be found at http://www.abct.org/Information/?m=mInformation&fa=dInformation