What is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)? How Does it Work
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August 22, 2022
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10 min read
CBT is an effective treatment for various conditions, including depression, anxiety, panic, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), pain, etc. CBT is one of the talking therapies that helps you manage your problems by altering your thinking and behavior.
So how does CBT work
Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves two approaches: cognitive (how we think) and behavioral (how we behave) (how we act). The theory is straightforward: our thoughts and actions influence one another, so altering how we think or act in certain situations can alter how we feel.
CBT examines behaviors we’ve learned over time, habits we’ve formed, and negative ways of thinking. The mission is to counter these habits and behaviors to eventually alter them to be more positive. CBT breaks down what may seem to be an overwhelming issue into smaller, more manageable chunks. Once you’ve identified these patterns, you can work on changing your behavior and developing new coping strategies.
While some talking therapies encourage you to explore your past, CBT focuses on the present and looks ahead. Of course, previous experiences are considered, but the primary focus remains on your current situation. In some conditions, the important thing is that other psychotherapies are more effective, so remember that no one size fits everyone.
CBT Uses
CBT is proven effective in different mental health conditions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help people with :
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bipolar disorders
- Phobias
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Insomnia
- Substance abuse
CBT is also used to treat
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
CBT will help you to
- Become aware of automatic, unhelpful thoughts
- Question any underlying assumptions that may be harmful
- Differentiating between facts and unhelpful thoughts
- Develop a more beneficial way of thinking about and viewing situations
What CBT sessions will look like
If you are recommended CBT, you will usually have a session with your therapist or counselor once a week or every two weeks. The course of treatment usually will range between 5 to 20 sessions, each session typically lasting from 45-60 minutes.
Your therapist will work with you and help you break down your problems and separate them into parts- thoughts, feelings, and actions. Together you will analyze these three areas and find out if they are unhelpful and affect each other and you.
Your therapist then will work with you to change these unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Finally, they will ask you to practice the daily life changes and discuss how you got on with them in your upcoming session.
Popular techniques used in CBT
SMART goals are precise, quantifiable, obtainable, realistic, and time-bound.
By challenging your beliefs about yourself or your present situation, your counselor can help you understand challenging these thoughts and consider alternative perspectives.
You could be asked to write down negative beliefs that emerge during the week and positive beliefs that can be substituted for them.
Your therapist may investigate what you tell yourself about a particular situation or experience and then push you to substitute negative or critical self-talk with empathetic, constructive self-talk.
This entails identifying and unraveling any cognitive distortions affecting your thoughts, such as black-and-white thinking, jumping to conclusions, or catastrophizing.
In this method, Trusted Source, you’ll record your thoughts and feelings during a specific situation, then come up with unbiased evidence supporting and refuting your negative belief. This evidence will be used to develop a more realistic thought.
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