Learn about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Therapists: Benefits, Techniques & How It Works

This type of therapy can help you reframe your perspective and view life’s challenges in a new way. There are many different types of psychological therapy and each is grounded in its own theory and assumptions about how people ‘work’. There are a number of key insights in the cognitive behavioral therapy model which help to distinguish it from other therapies. These ideas are the foundations upon which cognitive behavioral understandings and treatments have been built. Some definitions of CBT can help to clarify what makes it unique.

In cognitive behavior therapy, psychological problems are believed to develop through the use of cognitive distortions.
One traditional way of representing how thoughts, feelings, and behavior interact is with a diagram of the cognitive model.
Everyone must think I’m a loser.” This thought may lead to feelings of sadness, shame, and fear, when then lead to behaviors like isolation and avoidance.
A 2022 review focused on 13 brain imaging studies of people treated with CBT.
While CBT can be helpful for many different people, it isn’t right for everyone – just like every treatment.
It may work slightly better than antidepressants in treating anxiety.

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy a Good Fit?

For example, one review study found that online CBT reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression to the same extent or more than in person CBT. Online CBT was also effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobia. Given that online therapy removes certain barriers, such as travel time or childcare, it’s a strong option to consider. Direct behavioral observation involves observing a client in a relevant situation and noting behaviors and responses of interest.

Health Conditions

CBT aims to help clients resolve present-day challenges like depression or anxiety, relationship problems, anger issues, stress, or other common concerns that negatively affect mental health and quality of life. The goal of treatment is to help clients identify, challenge, and change maladaptive thought patterns in order to change their responses to difficult situations. An important intervention in CBT is to help clients understand and change unhelpful patterns and types of thinking.

The cognitive behavioral process is based on an educational model.
Many studies show that CBT is as effective as, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications.
The clinical practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy was established by Sigmund Freud in the late nineteenth century.
That’s not to say those topics won’t come up in therapy, but they’re not the central focus of CBT treatment.
This encourages you to apply what you're learning in your daily life.

Forced Compliance Behavior

Through CBT, you can unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits. Typical CBT treatment involves identifying personal beliefs or feelings that negatively affect your life and learning new problem-solving skills. Your therapist will help you gain confidence and better understand and appreciate your self-worth. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy They’ll also support you in facing your fears and learning to use calming techniques during challenging situations.

Early sessions are often more didactic, with the therapist describing how to use particular techniques, while in later sessions more time is spent using the new strategies.
Some definitions of CBT can help to clarify what makes it unique.
Although initially therapists and clients work together in session, therapists also empower clients by teaching them to evaluate their thoughts and practice their new skills on their own, outside of therapy.
CBT has proven helpful across a wide range of settings outside the typical face-to-face interaction between therapist and client, including online, group, and community settings (Beck, 2011).
For individuals whose struggles are deeply rooted in past trauma or unresolved issues from early relationships, exploring these origins may be essential for long-term healing.

Cognitive behavioral therapists take this very seriously and are dedicated to helping you along this process at your own pace, offering CBT tools in an environment of warmth and caring. Relying on the foundation of a supportive relationship, you'll feel more comfortable stepping outside of your comfort zone to achieve their goals. However, not everyone makes significant progress in a short time; some people may need additional therapy to reduce symptoms and create lasting change. Those with serious, chronic psychological problems may need anywhere from six months to several years of treatment. However, even in these cases, CBT is generally more effective and has a shorter duration than traditional talk therapy. This discussion is intended to improve your client’s awareness of situations where cognitive distortions are impacting their mood and behavior.

What are examples of cognitive behavioral therapy?

She and her therapist took the time to properly understand how she was feeling and identify the things that were maintaining her distress. Using this new understanding Sally, her therapist, and her parents came up with a plan to help her feel better. The reason that CBT focuses on specific events is because our lives are made up of specific moments all chained together. We live our lives moment-by-moment and feel our feelings that way too. We might tell ourselves stories like “I had the most boring day ever” but chances are that your day was made up of some boring moments, and perhaps some mildly interesting ones too. If we want to pay attention to our thoughts and behaviors, these happen moment-by-moment and we will miss important parts if we gloss over the details.