Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a foundational therapeutic modality for many of the evidence-based treatments we use here at CCBH. This form of psychotherapy focuses on inaccurate, negative, or unhelpful ways of thinking (cognitions) and the ways they inform maladaptive (unhelpful or harmful) behaviors. Our goal in therapy would be to identify those cognitions and work to reframe or restructure them into accurate, positive, and helpful thoughts to inform adaptive, resilient, and coping behaviors.
CBT has been shown by numerous high-quality psychological studies as an effective form of therapy for many of the psychological disorders we treat at CCBH including depression, anxiety, specific phobia, eating disorders, and OCD.
During your sessions, you will talk about what is going on in your life, identifying things that are problematic or troublesome for you. As you discuss them, you will work with your therapist to become more mindful of your thoughts, emotions, and actions related to these problematic or troublesome experiences, identify thoughts and actions that are unhelpful, and come up with helpful ways of thinking and responding.
In general, CBT is non-invasive. You may experience some emotional discomfort at thinking about or addressing painful thoughts, experiences, or memories. However, your therapist will help you navigate your discomfort, so being open about what you are thinking or experiencing in your sessions is important.
CBT also utilizes “homework” in the form of practicing the different cognitive reframing and and coping techniques (e.g., relaxation, coping, resilience, stress management, assertiveness) you learn in your sessions. It’s important to practice your CBT skills between sessions to maximize effectiveness of treatment.
01/06/23 Written By:
Darcy J. Corbitt-Hall, M.S.
01/10/23 Reviewed:
Allison Minnich, Ph.D.
Sources: American Psychological Association (2017) , Mayo Clinic (2019)