Cognitive Behaviroal Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that assists you in understanding and altering the way you think about yourself, your life, and other people. It has become widely used for various mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.
CBT works on the idea that thoughts, feelings and behaviors are interconnected in a cycle which often gets out of hand when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Your therapist will teach you how to recognize and alter these patterns so that you have more control over your emotions, thoughts and behavior.
At your initial session with a therapist, they may ask you many questions about your mental health, symptoms and what’s happening for you. They may also use standardized questionnaires to measure symptoms more precisely.
They’ll ask you about any situations that cause emotional distress and how they impact your daily life. Additionally, they want to know if there are any physical symptoms like headaches or stomach upset that could have an impact on mental health.
Once they gather information, your therapist will begin by exploring how you are currently thinking about your current situation or issue and recognizing any negative thoughts that could be interfering with your mental health. They then work together with you to help reframe these thoughts and beliefs so they are more realistic and encouraging.
By working on developing better coping skills, you’ll learn how to better handle stressful events or difficult circumstances. These techniques can be learned and practiced between sessions with your therapist so that if ever faced with stress again or other issues, these tools will serve as a reminder.
A therapist might also collaborate with you in developing goals for how you’d like to alter your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. These targets should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited).
Your therapist will employ a range of techniques in your sessions to teach you how to alter your thinking and behavior patterns. These could include guided discovery/questioning, journaling, and self-talk exercises.
Some therapists also employ mindfulness exercises or meditation techniques. These can help you pay more attention to your thoughts and emotions, as well as improving focus.
They can also teach you how to establish healthy boundaries with those in your life and equip yourself with strategies for resisting temptation.
The therapist may assign you homework to practice your new skills outside of therapy. This could be done at home, with friends, or in a group setting.
You’ll need to invest a considerable amount of time and energy into healing yourself from negative thinking, so be patient. Although this process may take some time, the rewards will be immense when you feel better.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is an effective therapy for anxiety and depression, but it can also be utilized for a variety of other issues caused by your thoughts and actions. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to improve their mental health while focusing on what’s happening now rather than what happened in the past.
