Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on challenging ineffective and unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Simply put, by changing the way that we think, we can change the way we feel and act. For instance, if you feel turbulence on a plane and have the thought, “this plane is going down!” (a catastrophic cognitive distortion) you will probably experience the physical sensations of panic, which you respond to by clutching your seat and hyperventilating, which reinforces the emotional response. If in that same situation you could reframe your thought to “This feels scary, though it is likely just a bumpy patch of air, and it is not inherently dangerous,” while relaxing your hands, you may still feel a bit of nervousness or anxiety, but certainly not the overwhelming terror that the previous thought provoked. As you have likely experienced, this happens in a split second. Working to notice, challenge, and restructure unhelpful thoughts and engage in behavioral change can be incredibly difficult. The motivation to do so is that we know through decades of research that it is incredibly effective.

Research shows that changing maladaptive and ineffective thinking patterns and behaviors can lead to sustained and significant improvements in overall mood and functioning. CBT has been found to be effective in hundreds of clinical trials for a wide range of disorders and symptoms, such as: phobias, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, depressive disorders, addiction and substance abuse, Bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, and even simply learning how to manage stressful situations more effectively.

CBT is a collaborative treatment that focuses on empowering the individual by learning and generalizing a cognitive-behavioral skillset through cognitive modification, behavioral experiments, and exposure. CBT is known to be a hands-on, short-term therapy in comparison to other forms of treatment.

CBT is a goal-oriented therapy, which will:

1. Teach you how to identify the issues in your life that are impeding overall functioning,

2. Make you aware of what your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are about these issues

3. Help you recognize how beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors reinforce or impact these issues, and

4. Allow you to make the necessary changes in both a cognitive and behavioral context to treat your symptoms.

For more information on CBT and its’ research base, please visit: https://beckinstitute.org/get-informed/what-is-cognitive-therapy/