Your Counsellor Wants To Do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
By Christina Fenske
Your counsellor wants to do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with you but you have no idea what that is. We’ve talked about it briefly here in easy-to-read steps to make it more digestible. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that helps individuals change their negative thoughts and behaviors into more positive ones. It is a widely used and effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CBT is a goal-oriented and structured approach that typically involves the following steps:
- Assessment: In the first step of CBT, the therapist works with the client to understand their presenting problem and determine their specific goals for treatment. The therapist may use various assessment tools, such as questionnaires or interviews, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the client’s symptoms and experiences.
- Psychoeducation: The second step of CBT involves educating the client about their condition and the CBT approach. This includes helping the client understand the relationship between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and how negative patterns of thinking and behavior can contribute to their symptoms.
- Goal setting: Once the client has a clear understanding of their condition and the CBT approach, they work with the therapist to set specific, measurable goals for treatment. These goals may include reducing symptoms, improving functioning, or increasing resilience.
- Identifying negative thoughts and behaviors: In the next step, the client learns to identify their negative thoughts and behaviors that contribute to their symptoms. This may involve keeping a thought diary or using other techniques to track their thoughts and feelings.
- Challenging negative thoughts: Once negative thoughts and behaviors have been identified, the client learns to challenge them using evidence-based techniques. This involves examining the evidence for and against the negative thoughts, and developing more realistic, positive thoughts.
- Behavior activation: The next step of CBT involves identifying behaviors that reinforce negative thoughts and behaviors, and developing alternative, positive behaviors. The client learns to engage in positive activities, such as exercise or socializing, to promote a positive mood and behavior.
- Exposure therapy: For individuals with anxiety disorders, exposure therapy may be a key component of CBT. This involves gradually exposing the client to feared situations or stimuli in a controlled and supportive environment, with the goal of reducing anxiety and increasing confidence.
- Relapse prevention: The final step of CBT involves developing strategies to prevent relapse and maintain gains made in treatment. This may involve ongoing monitoring of symptoms, practicing coping skills, and developing a support network.
In conclusion, CBT is a highly structured and evidence-based approach to therapy that can be used to treat a range of mental health conditions. It involves a systematic approach to goal-setting, identifying negative thoughts and behaviors, and developing more positive thoughts and behaviors. Through the use of various techniques such as exposure therapy and behavior activation, clients can learn to manage their symptoms, improve their functioning, and maintain gains made in treatment.
