What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological care that has shown to be effective in treating a variety of psychiatric issues, such as depression, anxiety disorders, problems with alcohol and other drugs, marital issues, eating disorders, and severe mental illnesses.
According to a leading CBT therapist near me, CBT is based on several core principles, which include the following:
- Psychiatric problems are based, in part, on flawed or harmful ways of thinking.
- A deal of psychiatric problems can be attributed to learned undesirable behavioral patterns.
- People with psychiatric problems can develop stronger coping mechanisms, which will help them manage their symptoms and improve their effectiveness.
I recently learned from a CBT awareness meeting that was organized by a renowned CBT therapist in Los Angeles that CBT treatment involves efforts to change one’s thinking patterns, using strategies such as the following:
- Recognizing one's own thinking biases that are creating problems and reassessing them in light of the actual reality.
- Improving one's knowledge of other people's motivations and behaviors.
- Use of problem-solving techniques to deal with challenging circumstances.
- Increasing one's self-assurance so as to grow in confidence.
The Long Beach, CA psychiatrist also illuminated how CBT utilizes five key problem-solving steps: recognize the problem; create a list of potential solutions; evaluate each of the solutions to determine the strengths and weaknesses they will offer; choose the solution to apply to the problem; and implement the decided-upon solution.
Types and uses of CBT
My college invited a leading Long Beach psychiatrist to talk to our psychology class about CBT. That encounter was so enriching because the psychiatrist provided us with very practical examples of how CBT is used.
It was during the lecture that I mastered the types of CBT: mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), dialectical behavior therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT).
A brochure I collected when I visited a TMS center near me indicated that MBCT is a form of CBT that combines cognitive behavior therapy with medication. This type of CBT helps to cultivate a non-judgmental, present-oriented attitude, which is commonly referred to as mindfulness.
DBT is an evidence-based type of CBT. Strong emotions and serious mental health disorders can be treated very well using this method, which employs techniques like problem solving and acceptance.
ACT is a type of CBT that heavily relies on positive reinforcement and counter-conditioning. Its ultimate goal is to change how one responds to his or her inner experiences.
REBT is an active-oriented therapy approach that helps an individual identify irrational beliefs such as self-defeating feelings and thoughts. It teaches the person how to actively combat unreasonable thoughts, which eventually enables them to detect and alter their thought habits. This kind of CBT encourages a person to swap out unproductive beliefs for healthier ones.
CBTTechniques
Some of the techniques used in CBT include cognitive restructuring or reframing; guided discovery; exposure therapy; journaling and thought records; activity scheduling and behavior activation; behavioral experiments; relaxation and stress reduction techniques; role-playing; and successive approximation.
Need more information and help with CBT types, techniques, and uses?
To get additional information or assistance with various forms of CBT and CBT techniques and uses, call (562) 203-0567 or go here.
The bottom-line is that CBT is a well-established and effective type of short-term therapy that is based on the connections between an individual and his or her thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as how these influence each other.
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