M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #79273
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that teaches us to think about the ways that our thoughts and our behaviors impact the way we feel. Often, when we feel bad, we don’t know how to feel better. In CBT we explore the ways that we can change our thoughts and our behaviors to lead to us feeling better.
The cognitive triangle
In CBT we explore how our thoughts and interpretations of different events contribute to our emotional responses to the events themselves. For example, if I walk into a room and notice that no one talks to me, I may have the thought, “No one likes me,” which may lead me to feeling bad about myself. Instead, I can try focusing on the fact that the room is crowded and noisy and no one I know noticed me walking in. That is a change in my interpretation of events and can lead to me feeling better.
How CBT is used
CBT focuses on examining a person’s beliefs about themselves, others, and the world around them. We identify when those beliefs are incorrect and work on changing the person’s beliefs to reflect healthier, more positive, and more accurate messages about our environment. We also explore how a person’s behaviors may be contributing to their emotions and help people change their behaviors so they can end up feeling better.