Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common forms of therapy used by mental health professionals. This treatment method uses psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) to address mental health conditions or emotional concerns.

CBT allows individuals to take control of their thoughts and actions, unlearn problematic patterns, and develop lasting coping skills. The end goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to replace negative ways of thinking and acting with more positive ones.

Core Principles

There are four main principles of CBT:

• Core beliefs: This principle states that psychological issues can stem from problematic core ideas, such as beliefs about oneself or the world.
• Thought patterns: CBT suggests that certain thought patterns can contribute to psychological problems.
• Learned behaviors: Similarly to thought patterns, this principle implies that patterns of negative learned behavior can lead to psychological issues. 
• Coping skills: According to this principle, it is possible to develop coping skills that offer symptom relief and improved mental health.

For example, take someone who struggles with anxiety. Their condition could be exacerbated by unhelpful thought patterns, such as automatic all-or-nothing thinking. This essentially means that their first instinct would be to perceive a situation, another person, or even themself through a black-and-white lens, believing that the end result of things will always be total failure or complete success.

They might view a conflict with a family member as more extreme than reality, worrying that a minor disagreement would ruin the relationship entirely. This thought pattern could take a toll over time, influencing their perceptions and reactions to situations and worsening their anxiety symptoms.