COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY - CBT
Aaron Beck (1921 - ), the developer of cognitive therapy started from a psychoanalytic background and moved to emphasize the role of cognitive distortions in depression and anxiety. More recently he has extended his theoretical work to substance abuse, personality disorders, and the severe psychiatric disorders.
In behavioural therapy, people learn how to change behaviour. You may have already heard of the most common behavioral techniques used in the treatment of anxiety disorders: desensitization, relaxation and breathing exercises. Cognitive therapy focuses on thoughts, assumptions and beliefs. With cognitive therapy, people may learn to recognize and change faulty or maladaptive thinking patterns. Cognitive therapy is not about "positive thinking" in the sense that you must always think happy thoughts. It's a way to gain control over racing, repetitive thoughts which often feed or trigger anxiety.
The two therapies often are used together because they are beneficial to each other. For example, in the midst of extreme anxiety, it may feel impossible to gain control over your thoughts and apply cognitive therapy techniques. Therefore, a behavioral technique such as deep breathing may help you calm down and focus on your thinking. The client should be a motivated person. CBT involves hard work. You will feel uncomfortable at times. You will have to do a lot of work outside of therapy. The harder you work, the better chance you have of recovering.
With these cautions in mind, it's important to note that many psychotherapists use a combination of CBT and other techniques. You may have a real need for "talk" therapy as well as a need for delving into your past. That's why it's so important to ask a therapist up front what your treatment plan will be (and the therapist will probably need to evaluate you first).
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists work with individuals, families and groups. The approaches can be used to help anyone irrespective of ability, culture, race, gender or sexual preference.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies are psychological approaches which are based on scientific principles. Research has shown them to be effective for a wide variety of problems. The client and therapist work together to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual's problem. This leads to the identification of personalised, time-limited therapy goals and strategies which are continually monitored and evaluated.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists are usually health professionals such as nurses, psychologists, doctors,
social workers, counsellors etc Most importantly, all therapists aim to help clients achieve desired change in the way they think, feel and behave.
In behavioural and cognitive psychotherapies the therapist and the client work together to develop a shared understanding of the client's problem and identify how these affect the client's thoughts,
behaviours, feelings and daily functioning.
Based on the understanding of each client's individual problems the therapist and the client will then work together to identify goals and to agree to a shared treatment plan. The focus of therapy is to enable the client to generate solutions to their problems that are more helpful than their present ways of coping. This often involves the client using the time between therapy sessions to try things out.
The number of sessions needed will differ depending on the nature and severity of the problem. Typically, sessions are weekly, last an hour and take place over a 10 to 15 sessions, but this can be significantly shorter or longer. After treatment completion client and therapist usually agree to a limited number of follow-up sessions to maintain the progress achieved.
Research on behavioural and cognitive psychotherapies has been carried out extensively. This has shown it to be an effective form of psychotherapy, particularly for the following:
- Anxiety & Panic Attacks
- Phobias (e.g. agoraphobia, social phobia)
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Eating problems
- Sexual and relationship problems
- Child and adolescent problems
- General Health problems
- Chronic Pain
- Habit problems (e.g. tics)
- Anger
- Drug or Alcohol problems
- Schizophrenia and Psychosis
- Problems associated with a learning disability
- Bipolar Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sleep Disorders
Behavioural and cognitive psychotherapies can be used on their own or in conjunction with medication, depending on the severity or nature of each client's problem.