A Guide To Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a goal-orientated, short-term type of talking therapy that helps individuals identify and correct harmful thought patterns that can lead to conditions such as depression, anxiety, and a number of other psychological problems.
There are two main components to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy:
- The cognitive component is concerned with a person’s thoughts, specifically how they evaluate and interpret the things that happen to them and how these perceptions affect their emotions and behaviours.
- The behavioural component is concerned with a person’s actions and how their behaviours might affect their feelings and impact their life.
CBT is a combined approach, and both components do not always get equal emphasis. Depending on the problem at hand, one component might be emphasised over the other. For example, the cognitive aspect may be emphasised in treating depression because depression mainly involves a person’s thoughts and feelings. On the other hand, the behavioural aspect may play a bigger role in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder because this disorder deals with repeated actions.
Is CBT A New Type/Form Of Therapy?
The premise of cognitive therapy – the idea that a person’s feelings are related to their interpretation of a situation rather than the nature of the situation itself – can trace its roots to ancient Western and Eastern philosophies. Behavioural therapy, which aims to change unhelpful or harmful behaviours, was developed based on the findings of classical conditioning and desensitisation.
Combining the two areas into cognitive behavioural therapy became a mainstream approach in the 1960s. It gained popularity in the 1980s and has taken off since then. Today it is increasingly the first course of action recommended on the NHS to patients suffering from depression or anxiety.
What Conditions Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Aim To Treat?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is considered an effective treatment for the following disorders:
- Anxiety disorders (including social anxiety and generalized anxiety)
- Panic disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders (including binge eating and bulimia)
- Substance abuse (including smoking, alcohol, and other drugs)
- Sleep disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
In addition, CBT can help alleviate problems such as:
- Relationship problems
- Intimacy issues
- Nervous habits such as skin picking, tics, and hair pulling
- Chronic pain
Begin CBT With Leading Experts
Here at Phoenix Counselling, we offer CBT therapy services that can help to change negative patterns in how you think, feel and behave. This therapy can be very effective for many types of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. If you have any further questions about CBT Therapy, then get in touch with Phoenix Counselling today.
Book a consultation today with our experts to begin your journey in CBT.