Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a class of techniques that help change how you feel by simply changing how you think. They are grounded on a basic premise that psychological distress, emotional turmoil and behavioral disorders are caused and conserved by negative thinking patterns. This means that if you think differently, you will feel and behave distinctively too. As long as your thinking style stays twisted or dysfunctional, your psychological pain will persist.

The underlying principles of CBT were introduced by Albert Ellis (1962) and Aaron Beck (1970). They both independently asserted that maladaptive thoughts bring about emotional distress and behavioral problems. And you are often oblivious to this plot because you believe that events and people make cause you emotional pain. The truth is quite contrary.

We live (and often die) with beliefs or schemas, about the world, ourselves, and life in general. These get engrained in our minds based on prior experience or observation, and they give rise to very specific automatic thought patterns. Sometimes these are useful but many a time they are dysfunctional and rather harmful. CBT strategies aim to change these maladaptive cognitions and this effectively alters emotional anguish and problem behaviors. The goal of CBT is to reduce symptoms of psychological disorders, improve every day functioning and enable a fulfilling and productive life.

CBT is a life changing therapy

Fundamental Basis of CBT

In general, people find it hard to believe that their cognitions (thoughts), emotions and behaviors are interconnected. Truth is, the way you perceive a situation influences your emotional reaction way more than that actual reality of it. You assume facts in your mind; but these could sometimes be personalized perceptions, hazed by clouded judgment. Integrating cognitive and behavioral theories through CBT brings back realistic views of any experience, and the resultant emotional reaction is invariably more rational and true-to-life. Fundamentally, if you change the way you think, you will change the way you see the world as well as your problems; and your responses to them will accordingly transform for the better too.

Therapeutic Principles of CBT

CBT is best offered by a trained psychotherapist. However, a psychiatrist who also practices therapy, possesses the neurological acumen around behavior that adds to therapy efficacy. CBT finds its rationale in a very common-sense relationship between cognition (thinking), emotion (feeling) and behavior (doing). It insists that we behave in a given way based on how we feel, and that we feel in a particular manner because of the style in which we think. Hence the greatest focus is on cognition. CBT is based on the premise that automatic thoughts can often be exaggerated, biased, misguided, or unrealistic, and these play a momentous role in psychopathology. Correcting them, corrects the entire problem.

Automatic Thoughts

These are involuntary, immediate, and unpremeditated analyses of events that occur in one’s life. They are so instinctive that they become part of one’s persona. Often enough, these are unconstructive, and change the actuality of the event on account of a negative outlook.

Cognitive Distortions

These are errors one makes in the processing of information that is presented from the outside world. They are illogical, could be rooted in previous negative experiences, and convince the person about irrational, destructive and negative outcomes, all without any evidence.

Underlying Beliefs

Beliefs are rules that one follows while processing information and cues, from people and the world. These beliefs shape the interpretation of any and all events that occur in a person’s life. Sadly, these can often get rigid, global and overgeneralized. That becomes a problem.

Untwisting Thinking

Untwisting thinking in CBT is a process of challenging the false underlying beliefs and replacing them with rational and functional thoughts. This leads to more productive action and results in favorable outcomes. By untwisting negative thoughts, positive outcomes follow.
As mentioned earlier, CBT is an active, directive and time limited therapy that follows a structure and systematic protocol. The extent of rigidity in thinking, ability to challenge the distortions, and the convincing power of the therapist, together guide the pace and progress. This involves open discussion, trust, disclosure, experiential sharing, and mindfulness.

Where is CBT used?

CBT is a dedicated form of therapy that demands commitment and participation from the client. It makes you mindful of your negative thoughts, dysfunctional self-talk, and directs you to positive reflections and actions. Typically, the cognitive model of emotional turmoil emphasizes the role of unhelpful, maladaptive and dysfunctional thinking in the causality of psychological problems. CBT helps change that and pushes you towards more evolved and accomplishable emotional goals.

CBT impact has been extensively researched and applied in depression, generalized anxiety, phobia, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, eating disorders, relationship problems, personality disorders, pregnancy related psychological conditions, as well as childhood and adolescent anxiety and depression.

What should I expect from CBT?

CBT is active, directive and goal oriented. It aims at changing the way you perceive your world – right now. So, it involves several questions about what is going on in your mind and your life at the moment. The first step is to identify your distressing thoughts, and feelings, after which you observe whether these are working well for you; or not. By no measure is this an easy task. Once you validate the usefulness of your thoughts, you are taught how to adjust and tweak your thinking style to achieve better emotional outcomes.

CBT at MindFrames

As a psychiatrist as well as psychotherapist practicing diverse therapies, Dr Shefali guides you through cognitive, mindfulness and neurobehavioral milestones to help you think, feel and behave differently. She helps you challenge faulty cognitions, to make you aware of your hurdles in battling anxiety, depression, obsession, frustration, anger, irritation; or simply any negative emotion. Through CBT you bring your attention to events, interactions, relationships, or any other stressors; and then create a structured plan to change them. You learn how to challenge negative thoughts, and switch from an automatic mode, to a mindful approach. In time you develop a rational and responsive attitude towards yourself and others. And this eventually reflects in a confident, optimistic and wholesome life.

References

  • Chand, S. P., Kuckel, D. P., Huecker, M. R., (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy. StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
  • Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive therapy and research, 36(5), 427–440.
  • Beck, A. T., (1970). Cognitive therapy: Nature and relation to behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy; 1:184–200.

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