If there are behaviors you want to change, such as quitting smoking or getting over a fear of heights, then cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be the way you want to go. CBT is focused on improving your life by changing patterns of thinking and behavior that may be causing you problems. Capable of treating a wide range of different mental health conditions, this type of therapy requires you to be willing and able to change the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that you currently hold, considered cognitive processes. Keep reading to learn more about CBT and how it works.
Understanding cognitive behavioral therapy
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that involves a hands-on approach to looking at the personal meaning behind things that you think or do. It can also be thought of as a behavioral therapy type, looking at how your problems intersect with your behavior and thought processes. As a result, it can be customized to each person and reflect personal needs and personality to achieve the best possible results.
Where does cognitive behavioral therapy come from?
This type of therapy was developed back in the 1960s by Aaron Beck, a psychiatrist. He determined that while a patient participates in a session, they will be thinking many things that they don’t share with their mental health professional. The first thought that they have will generally cause them to have a second or third thought, and each of those thoughts will cause them to have different feelings. Beck created the term "automatic thoughts" during this time to describe the emotional thoughts and feelings that come into the mind of those patients.
By exploring these thoughts and feelings, Beck helped patients understand their difficulties and their problems. As a result, he was then capable of helping them overcome the difficulties that they experienced. Because it was related to their thought processes, Beck called this type of therapy cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy considers that an event is not what causes a person to be upset, but the thoughts and feelings associated with that event. As a result, we may see only the negative, and this can cause negative thoughts to persist.
How cognitive behavioral therapy works
First, your therapist will talk with you about the behaviors you wish to change. You may even discuss how those behaviors came to be. Some negative thought processes develop during childhood, while others develop in adulthood, perhaps after a traumatic event. It's important to pinpoint these specific thought processes and understand what they are.
Once you have processed all of your negative thoughts and behaviors, it's time to develop more positive thoughts and behaviors. These new thoughts and behaviors are put in place of the old thoughts and behaviors through use of practice and reflection.
Your therapist may assign you homework in the form of activities to further implement these changes. They may have you complete readings, work in a journal, or practice skills you've discussed. You will discuss how those activities went at your next session.
Cognitive behavioral therapy uses
Cognitive-behavioral therapy may help with sleeping difficulties, relationship problems, addiction, drug or alcohol abuse, and even anxiety and depression, along with other mental health disorders. In general, the key is to talk with your mental health professional about what you’re experiencing and what you wish to accomplish. They’ll be able to help you understand whether cognitive behavioral therapy is the best way to go or if another form of therapy will be a better way of dealing with your concerns.
What sets cognitive behavioral therapy apart?
CBT differs from other types of therapy because it’s very structured. Many types of therapy center on a free talk atmosphere, where the participant talks about whatever they like throughout the session in no particular order. CBT has a set structure. The client will discuss the problems they are having with their therapist, and the two together will then come up with a structure for how to target that behavior and the thought processes and beliefs that influence it.
Throughout the session, they will continue to focus on this structure, and at the end of the session, there will be some homework involved that the client will be requested to participate in. When they come back together for the next session, the client will relay how the homework went, and there will generally be a recap of what happened during the last session and how to build on that for the structure of the next session.
This cycle will continue until the new positive thoughts and behavior become natural and any issues you were experiencing have dissipated.
Explore cognitive behavioral therapy online
If you’re looking for ways to change negative thoughts or behaviors or change the amount of pressure you put on yourself, then cognitive behavioral therapy may be the best way to go. Finding a therapist will be an important first step in improving your mental health and clarity.
CBT can be performed in person or online. Online CBT can be just as effective as in-person CBT, and online CBT may be both more convenient and more cost-effective. Many people have found they can achieve success with an online therapist.
For CBT to work, you need to find someone that you can feel comfortable with. Online therapy platform BetterHelp is one way you can reach out to a professional you might feel comfortable with. You’ll have more versatility and more options with an online platform than you might in your local area. Once you're matched with a licensed therapist, all you have to do is set up an appointment time when you can get online, without having to worry at all about where you’ll be.
Talk with your BetterHelp therapist about whether CBT is the way to help you grow into a better you.