What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and How Does It Work?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy treatment that teaches people how to recognize and change harmful or troubling thought patterns that affect their behavior and emotions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on modifying automatic negative thinking that can exacerbate emotional problems, sadness, and anxiety. These irrational negative ideas have a negative impact on one’s mood.

Cognitive Behavioral therapy comes in a variety of forms.

CBT is a term that refers to a variety of strategies and approaches for dealing with ideas, emotions, and behaviors. Structured psychotherapies and self-help resources are examples of this. CBT is used in a number of different types of therapeutic treatments, including The goal of cognitive therapy is to discover and change ineffective or erroneous thought patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors. Behavior, affect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal aspects, and drug/biological considerations are all included in multimodal therapy. 3

Identifying illogical thoughts, aggressively challenging these beliefs, and finally learning to recognize and change these thought patterns are all part of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). While each style of cognitive-behavioral therapy has its own technique, they all aim to change the underlying thought patterns that cause psychological suffering.

CBT's effectiveness:

CBT was developed in the 1960s as a result of psychiatrist Aaron Beck’s observations that certain ways of thinking related to emotional difficulties. Beck coined the term “automatic negative thoughts” and devised the cognitive therapy procedure to address them.
Whereas previous behavior therapies concentrated almost entirely on associations, reinforcements, and punishments to change behavior, the cognitive approach focused on how ideas and feelings influence behavior. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is now one of the most well-studied types of treatment, having been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and drug use disorder. CBT is the most well-researched eating disorder treatment.
CBT has been shown to benefit those with insomnia as well as those with a general medical condition that prevents them from sleeping, such as pain or mood disorders like depression. The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents has been clinically demonstrated.
CBT assisted persons with anxiety and anxiety-related illnesses, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a 2018 meta-analysis of 41 research.
CBT has a lot of evidence behind it when it comes to treating substance use disorders.
It can help you gain self-control, avoid triggers, and establish coping methods for everyday stressors.
CBT is one of the most studied types of therapy, owing to the fact that it focuses on very defined goals and can be quantified quite readily.

How Do I Begin Using CBT?

For a variety of psychiatric disorders, cognitive behavior therapy can be a useful treatment option. Consider the following actions if you or someone you care about might benefit from this type of therapy:
To find a licensed expert in your region, talk to your doctor or look through the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists’ directory of trained therapists.
Consider your own preferences, such as if you prefer face-to-face or online counseling.
Check with your health insurance to check if CBT is covered and, if so, how many sessions per year are covered.
Filling out documentation including HIPAA papers, insurance information, medical history, current medications, a questionnaire about your symptoms, and a therapist-patient service agreement should be similar to what you’d expect at a doctor’s appointment. You’ll most likely fill out these forms online if you’re in online therapy.
Prepare to discuss what brought you to therapy, your symptoms, and your background, including your childhood, schooling, work, relationships (family, romantic, and friends), and current living circumstances.