Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Archives

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals learn to change their negative behaviour and emotions by identifying and dealing with destructive and disturbing thinking patterns. CBT Therapy directly addresses the randomly generated negative thoughts that can be a reason for your low mood, depression, and anxiety.

This therapy is a way of changing these automated disturbing thoughts with more positive and productive ones. Additionally, it’s about enhancing an individual's quality of life. It is based on the principle that our behaviour is influenced by our thoughts and patterns we learn. Our emotional issues can be resolved by replacing our unhelpful coping mechanisms with more constructive ones.

What are the benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

The fundamental concept behind Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is that our feelings and emotions dictate our behaviour. The more we indulge in negative thoughts, the more we are likely to feel scared and depressed. While some of these fears might be real, and we can only do a little to change our circumstances, we can certainly change our outlook on those fears using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

CBT Therapy can be beneficial for you by:

Making you aware of your negative and mostly unrealistic thoughts that contribute to your low mood and anxiety and replace them with healthier thinking patterns

Providing short-term but effective treatment for your concerns. CBT Therapy can help you see positive results in 5 to 20 sessions

Being one of the more affordable treatment options than other types of therapies

Giving you the freedom to either take face-to-face or online sessions

Providing a solution for several types of maladaptive behaviours

Managing the symptoms of psychological illnesses and preventing the relapse

Teaching you better ways to resolve conflicts in relationships and carry a healthy communication

Helping you overcome trauma-related mental and physical abuse

Assisting you in dealing with chronic physical illnesses and pain conditions

You can take Cognitive Behavioural Therapy sessions if you are struggling with any of the following conditions:

Depression and anxiety

Different phobias

Sleep disorders

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Eating disorders

Sexual problems

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Bipolar disorder

Substance abuse

Grief and loss

Panic attacks

Low confidence and self-esteem

What should I expect from a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session?

A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session can be delivered as a one-on-one session or in groups of individuals. Your therapist will start the session by gathering information about your current and past mental condition. They’ll ask questions, to gain a deeper understanding of your unique situation. Try to give them as much information as possible about the particular concern you would like to work on. This can help your therapist to develop a course of action that is effectively designed to deal with your issue.

The first therapy session is also a way for you to understand your therapist, their approach to your treatment, how the therapy sessions will work, and how much time your treatment will take.

After the Assessment

After the initial assessment, your therapist will start the session and ask you to discuss your emotions, feelings, and thoughts in as much detail as possible. You might find this hard in the beginning as opening to someone can be difficult, but this is a common happening that is usually sorted out in the first couple of sessions.

This process will help your therapist to understand your negative thought patterns and the exact area of concern. Next, the therapist will divert your focus towards your thoughts and apply strategies to help you learn how your thoughts create an inaccurate perception of your situation. They will also give you some tasks and activities to do at home by applying what you learned during the session.

Conclusion

While CBT Therapy might not be helpful in changing your situation or adjusting your environment, it helps you learn better coping strategies to deal with them in a positive and healthy way. It can alleviate stress and anxiety by eliminating negative thought processes and help you live a better life.

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