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What is Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
Mental health is very integral, and yet it is stereotyped. Our main goal is to normalize mental health and create awareness among people.
One kind of therapy is called CBT, known as Cognitive behavior therapy.
Must make a note that only a licensed psychotherapist can conduct these forms of therapies.
Let us explain what CBT is.
CBT ( Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a form of therapy conducted by counselors in which they make an initiative to create a shift in thoughts. The negative thoughts are identified and are shifted to positive ones. It helps to elevate and change the behavior and emotions.
CBT is beneficial and you can ensure a good mood as it focuses on a person’s actions and behavior. With CBT’s help, you can train your mind and cope up with stressful situations in a better manner.
CBT is a form of therapy that can be used alone or in combination with other therapies. CBtT works best on people dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD and other respected mental health disorders.
Types of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
This therapy is based on pure scientific research of how animals and humans behave and react to different emotions. The therapy has been coined from the first known behavioral therapist named David Barlow.
However behavior therapy is much more than simple behavior modification.
It works best for both children and adults.
For example, there is a girl who is suffering from OCD. There is a pattern of obsessions, traumatic memories, panic, nervousness, or worry because of thoughts or past disruptive events. In such a case, the therapist applied ERP therapy on her. This is known as exposure response prevention. Generally, people deal with anxiety because of some events or places or situations or person. In such a case, the patient must come in contact with the fear or with the things that trigger their discomfort.
Example: A girl was fearful of driving the car alone without her father being on her side, thereby the therapist applied ERP and the girl was told to take the car alone.
In another instance there is also desensitization, which is applied by the therapist to the client. For example, A girl in her 20’s is having a fear of marriage, so the therapist applied desentization and talk therapy and tried to elevate the fear.
In another instance, a person who is suffering from depression might target more towards avoidance traps. This means the patient avoids further feelings of depression, loss, rejection, and embarrassment. With the help of therapy, these avoidance tendencies can be broken, and hence the depression can also be treated. This has been coined by Martell, Addis in the year 2001.
BT on the other hand can also help in improving social relationships. Other forms of techniques can include relaxation and breathing to calm down and feel better.
1) Cognitive Therapy
Many of us deal with negative thoughts. If not taken care of, these thoughts can grow and form a disorder, for example, Generalized anxiety disorder and other phobias. This is also very helpful for people dealing with ADHD. With the help of CT(Cognitive Therapy), irrational thoughts or toxic thoughts, or unhealthy thoughts are replaced with logic and rational thoughts. It also helps to aid depression.
2) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBt, in general, can be defined as a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy. CBT is considered one of the best psychotherapies to treat anxiety. There are different types of emotions each person deals with. People generally get tangled in the pattern of their disputing thoughts, which further leads to anxiety. With the help of CBT, we can fight these thought distortions. Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck are two fathers of CBT. It is better if the therapist has undergone training and is certified to practice CBT. Many are educated but still are not skillful enough to apply and practice CBT on patients.
3)Third Wave Therapy :
This is also known as the third wave of CBT. Let us take an example: This is the most common problem we all deal with, emotional eating. If you are happy, we eat; if we are sad, we eat. The truth is we are not eating food. Instead, we are eating feelings. This act is called an unconscious drive of numbing the emotions. A girl faced the problem of impulsivity, and hence she could not lose weight because of binging and emotional eating. The therapist recommended applying wave therapy. No matter how high the wave will go, it will come back to its ground level. This also teaches the patient control, patience, and better management of their emotions.
4)Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Whenever we feel any emotion, we go through a sudden form of physical sensation. Often, there are various forms of guided meditation and other activities performed for relaxation and calmness. Mindfulness is one of the common types. In this process, the person must be aware of his body, feeling, and emotions. Feel what you are feeling and go within and accept your inner feelings. It is an experience where the person comes in close contact with its inner world. Acceptance is the key here. This is coined by Stephen hayes, and it is very useful to fight different mood-related issues.
5) Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Time needed: 45 days.
When a person is dealing with any mental health issue, it can lower life quality and act as a significant life barrier. DBT is a form of therapy that is undergone under four stages.
- Stage 1
A person becomes aware of his out of control behavior
- Stage 2
Creating a shift from the stage of desperation to acknowledging one’s emotions
- Stage 3
Focusing on a goal-based approach and helping the person to achieve productivity
- Stage 4
Applying spirituality and other mediums to ease down
Such problems help to treat substance abuse, anxiety, and depression.
6)Compassion Informed Psychotherapy:
How do you see yourself? How do you view yourself? This is often termed as self-esteem. Many people struggle with low self-esteem. In some cases, people are also diagnosed with self -shame. The therapist applies CIP on clients and helps to put a lens on negative thoughts. The therapist guides the client through the process of self-acceptance and self-compassion.
7)Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Unlike other forms of CBT, instead of shifting or changing the thought, This therapy taught the patient to ”deal and react with difficult thought or emotion. It also leads to avoiding self-judgment. Every disease starts with a fundamental problem. In the same way, in mental health, one negative thought sprouts in the person’s person’s mind, and hence it forms a spiral of thoughts leading to toxic thinking. This can further worsen anxiety and depression. With the help of therapy intervention, such an act can be avoided.
8)Integrated Couple Behavior Therapy :
This is a therapy which is specially integrated for the couples. It helps people to work and improve on their communication by practising empathic listening. Outside that the therapist gives homework assignments which are required to be performed by the couple.
CBT Strategies :
As far as the strategies of CBT are concerned, it helps the person to stay active, helps to entail a problem solving attitude in a person. With the help of CBT, it helps to eliminate unnecessary thinking thereby reducing the level of emotional distress. CBT also involves encouraging patients to indulge in activities that they like and vibrate more pleasure. CBT tactics are devised to reduce the level of anxiety. People can manage their lives with the help of CBT.
