An Introduction to CBT: A Beginner's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) -
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping us understand and change stressful patterns of thought and behavior. CBT practitioners use a variety of techniques and practices to help us identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and develop more positive and adaptive coping strategies. This is a go-to framework that I use with my mentorship clients (along with quantum healing techniques). CBT does not consider thoughts to be ‘negative or positive’, rather, ‘stressful or non stressful’ is the preferred comparison. This helps us shift away from thinking something is bad or wrong about us, and into a state of compassionate inquiry and rational assessment of our felt (emotional) experience.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY -
CBT was developed in the 1960s by Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who was working with patients suffering from depression. Beck noticed that many of his patients had negative and distorted patterns of thinking that were contributing to their symptoms, and he began to develop a form of therapy that focused on helping individuals identify and challenge these negative thoughts.
In the 1970s and 1980s, CBT was further developed and refined by a number of other researchers and practitioners, including Albert Ellis, who developed rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and David Burns, who wrote the influential book "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy." Today, CBT is widely recognized as an evidence-based treatment for a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and phobias, and is used by a variety of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialized mentors.
THE FRAMEWORK OF CBT -
Identify a stressful thought: We become aware of a stressful thought and the impact it has on our emotions and behavior.
Challenge the stressful thought: This involves evaluating the evidence for and against the stressful thought and developing a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern.
Problem-solving: We start identifying and overcoming obstacles to achieving our goals by breaking the issues down into smaller, more manageable parts and developing strategies to tackle them.
Gradual exposure: We gradually face and confront our fears in a controlled and safe environment in order to reduce anxiety and avoidant behavior.
Relaxation techniques: We integrate techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization to reduce stress and anxiety.
Mindfulness: We pay attention to our thoughts and feelings in the present moment without judgment in order to develop greater self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Role-playing: We rehearse new behaviors and communication skills in a supportive environment.
These are just a few examples of the many CBT practices that are used by practitioners to help people overcome stressful patterns of thought and behavior and develop healthier coping strategies.
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