Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
“You mainly feel the way you think.”
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a short-term, problem-focused form of talk therapy that helps people see the difference between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings, and free them from unhelpful patterns of behavior. You’ll be supported while you build insight into the connection between thoughts, emotions and behaviors. The foundation of CBT is that we have “automatic thoughts” that lead to emotional responses, which in turn lead to behavioral choices.
CBT is grounded in the belief that it is a person’s perception of events – rather than the events themselves – that determines how he or she will feel and act in response. Most people with clearly defined behavioral and emotional concerns tend to reap the benefits of CBT.
With CBT, you’ll be able to adjust the thoughts that directly influence your emotions and behavior. This adjustment process is referred to as cognitive reconstructing, which happens through different CBT techniques.
Some CBT techniques
- Journaling
- Thought Logs
- Challenging beliefs
- Social, physical, and thinking exercises
Cognitive behavioral therapy is much more than sitting and talking about whatever comes to mind during a session. CBT sessions are structured to ensure that the therapist and the person in treatment are focused on the different goals of each session, which in turn ensures that each and every session is productive.
