Three Little Letters that Can Change your Life: CBT

What is CBT?

What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)? CBT is a type of psychotherapy treatment, used alone or in combination with another type of therapy, that helps people learn how to identify and change unhelpful behavioural routines. It explores the links between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and repairs unhelpful and unhealthy patterns within these connections. 

 Many experts consider CBT to be the best treatment available for several mental health conditions. It remains one of the most studied therapy approaches used today and is considered to be the gold-standard for the most common mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. 

What Does CBT Treat?

CBT is focused on learning how to alter or challenge your thoughts (cognitions) and your actions (behaviours). The following are some mental health problems that may improve following CBT treatment:

• Depression

• Anxiety (generalized or social)

• Phobias

• PTSD or problems related to trauma

• Sleep disorders

• Eating disorders

• Grief or loss

• Work burnout

• Stress related to medical illness or chronic pain

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (when combined with Exposure and Response Prevention)

• Substance use disorders

• Bipolar disorders

• Schizophrenia

• Sexual disorders

What can I expect in a course of CBT?

 A therapist will encourage you to recognize your problematic thinking patterns, and actively alter these thoughts. You will be challenged and encouraged to respond differently to your environment, collecting data along the way. You will notice shifts in your mental health symptoms when you behave and respond differently. Psychoeducation plays a large role in CBT, learning about psychological theories and applying them to your own life, for example, the ‘stages of change’ model and how this applies to breaking maladaptive behaviour patterns. 

You can also expect lots of home practice! One premise of CBT is that the strategies must be practiced daily, and thus, your therapist will provide you with tracking sheets at each session. Flashback to your high school days!

What Are the Benefits of CBT?

 The underlying concept behind CBT is that thoughts and feelings play a fundamental role in behaviour. The goal of CBT is to teach people that while they cannot control every aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they  interpret and deal with things in their environment.

Key benefits of CBT include:

• Identify problems and build awareness of your negative thoughts and problematic or avoidant behaviours

• Set achievable goals

• Develop a more positive perspective on situations in your life

• Be more resilient and in control of your problems

• The course of therapy is shorter than other types (most typically, 6 to 12 sessions to see real results)

CBT is a good therapy choice for you if you are looking to change unwanted negative thoughts and behaviours. Clinicians at Brookhaven Psychotherapy are highly trained in CBT and can work with you in achieving real change. Contact us today to see if CBT is right for you!

Find out more about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy here