What is CBT?
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Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a treatment
approach that focuses on the link between thoughts, behavior, physical
reactions within the body, and emotions. Many people seek out CBT because it
has been established as an empirically validated form of treatment. This means
that research has shown CBT to be the most effective form of treatment for several
conditions, including mood and anxiety disorders.
CBT focuses on your current experiences, working to change negative thought patterns and ineffective behavior and helping clients to understand the mind-body connection. Cognitive behavioral therapists are trained to understand the importance of a client’s background, family dynamics, and personal history, but the focus of therapy is on collaboration, education, and achieving tangible results. In CBT, you will receive instruction in techniques to help you cope more actively and manage your moods more effectively. Treatment is goal oriented and can be time limited. Techniques include challenging ineffective thought patterns, relaxation training to help reduce stress and anxiety, activity scheduling to enhance time management and life balance, and addressing ineffective behaviors (e.g. avoidance or compulsions) that maintain negative emotion, Research has shown that clients who use these techniques improve more rapidly and continue to improve even after therapy ends. CBT is often the treatment of choice for clients who are not interested in medication or who want or need to discontinue medications they have been taking. CBT is:
CBT is proven to be effective for treating:
CBT provides a framework for understanding how thought patterns affect our reactions to change and how well we adjust to life events. It can be used to enhance coping with issues related to:
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