Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: What is it?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy with a counsellor or psychologists to help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and do thing (behave). It can be used to treat disorders such as anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders and depression.
CBT is made of 3 components
- Cognitive. Conscious mental activities such as thinking, understanding and learning
- Behavioural. The way in which a person acts
- Therapy. Treatment by talking about the problems and working on it by doing homework
Click to view MIND video on What is CBT
How does CBT work?
CBT is based on the concept that the way you think, affects the way you feel and behave. This is because your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected and therefore negative thoughts and feelings can trap you into a vicious repetitive cycle. If these thoughts are left to persist, they eventually become a permanent habit which you may find difficult to remove from within you.
Your CBT therapist will try to help you break this cycle by teaching you coping skills for dealing with different types of problems and help you understand the core reason why and how you are feeling this way. The structured nature of CBT means it can be provided in different formats with the use self-help articles, videos or groups therapy. It will teach you practical strategies which can be used in everyday life, even after the therapy sessions have finished.
- It is important that you commit yourself to the process to get the most from the therapy
- It will involve you confronting your emotions and anxieties
- It will help you deal with overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts
- It will change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
- It will deal with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past.
- It will look for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis
- It focuses on small and simple goals
- It needs you to practise the coping skills in real life situations
Try to list down your negative thoughts or feelings and what provoke them in a thought journal to share with your therapist to help you understand and overcome your problem
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your emotions, do reach out and chat with a counsellor or therapist
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