CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy...

is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the important role of

thinking in how we feel and what we do.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not exist as a distinct therapeutic

technique. The term "cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)" is a very

general term for a classification of therapies with similarities.  There

 are several approaches to cognitive-behavioral therapy, including

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Rational Behavior Therapy, Rational

Living Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, and Dialectic Behavior Therapy.

However, most cognitive-behavioral therapies have the following

characteristics:

1. CBT is based on the Cognitive Model of Emotional Response.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that our thoughts

cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people,

situations, and events.  The benefit of this fact is that we can change

the way we think to feel / act better even if the situation does not

change.

 2. CBT is Briefer and Time-Limited.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered among the most rapid in terms

of results obtained.  The average number of sessions clients receive

(across all types of problems and approaches to CBT) is only 16.  Other

forms of therapy,  like psychoanalysis, can take years.  What enables

CBT to be briefer is its highly instructive nature and the fact that it

makes use of homework assignments.  CBT is time-limited in that we help

clients understand at the very beginning of the therapy process that

there will be a point when the formal therapy will end.  The ending of

the formal therapy is a decision made by the therapist and client. 

Therefore, CBT is not an open-ended, never-ending process.

3. A sound therapeutic relationship is necessary for effective therapy,

but not the focus.

Some forms of therapy assume that the main reason people get better in

therapy is because of the positive relationship between the therapist

and client.  Cognitive-behavioral therapists believe it is important to

have a good,     trusting relationship, but that is not enough.  CBT

therapists believe that the clients change because they learn how to

think differently and they act on that learning.  Therefore, CBT

therapists focus on teaching rational self-counseling

skills.

4. CBT is a collaborative effort between the therapist and the client.

 Cognitive-behavioral therapists seek to learn what their clients want

out of life (their goals) and then help their clients achieve those

goals.  The therapist's role is to listen, teach, and encourage, while

the client's roles is to express     concerns, learn, and implement that

 learning.

For excellent cognitive-behavioral therapy self-help and professional

books, audio presentations, and home-study training programs, please

click here.

5. CBT is based on aspects of stoic philosophy.

Not all approaches to CBT emphasize stoicism.  Rational Emotive Behavior

 Therapy, Rational Behavior Therapy, and Rational Living Therapy

emphasize aspects of stoicism.  Beck's Cognitive Therapy is not based on

 stoicism.  

Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not tell people how they should feel.

 However, most people seeking therapy do not want to feel they way they

have been feeling. The approaches that emphasize stoicism teach the

benefits of     feeling, at worst, calm when confronted with undesirable

 situations.  They also emphasize the fact that we have our undesirable

situations whether we are upset about them or not.  If we are upset

about our problems, we have two     problems -- the problem, and our

upset about it.  Most people want to have the fewest number of problems

possible.  So when we learn how to more calmly accept a personal

problem, not only do we feel better, but we usually put     ourselves in

 a better position to make use of our intelligence, knowledge, energy,

and resources to resolve the problem.

6. CBT uses the Socratic Method.

Cognitive-behavioral therapists want to gain a very good understanding

of their clients' concerns.  That's why they often ask questions.  They

also encourage their clients to ask questions of themselves, like, "How

do I really know that those people are laughing at me?"  "Could they be

laughing about something else?"

7. CBT is structured and directive.

Cognitive-behavioral therapists have a specific agenda for each session.

 Specific techniques / concepts are taught during each session.  CBT

focuses on the client's goals.  We do not tell our clients what their

goals "should" be, or what they "should" tolerate.  We are directive in

the sense that we show our clients how to think and behave in ways to

obtain what they want. Therefore, CBT therapists do not tell their

clients what to do -- rather, they teach their clients how to do.

8. CBT is based on an educational model.

CBT is based on the scientifically supported assumption that most

emotional and behavioral reactions are learned.  Therefore, the goal of

therapy is to help clients unlearn their unwanted reactions and to learn

 a new way of reacting.

Therefore, CBT has nothing to do with "just talking".  People can "just

talk" with anyone.

The educational emphasis of CBT has an additional benefit -- it leads to

 long term results.  When people understand how and why they are doing

well, they know what to do to continue doing well.

9. CBT theory and techniques rely on the Inductive Method.

A central aspect of Rational thinking is that it is based on fact.

Often, we upset ourselves about things when, in fact, the situation

isn't like we think it is.  If we knew that, we would not waste our time

 upsetting ourselves.

Therefore, the inductive method encourages us to look at our thoughts as

 being hypotheses or guesses that can be questioned and tested.  If we

find that our hypotheses are incorrect (because we have new

information), then we      can change our thinking to be in line with

how the situation really is.

10. Homework is a central feature of CBT.

If when you attempted to learn your multiplication tables you spent only

 one hour per week studying them, you might still be wondering what 5 X 5

 equals.  You very likely spent a great deal of time at home studying

your multiplication tables, maybe with flashcards.

The same is the case with psychotherapy.  Goal achievement (if obtained)

 could take a very long time if all a person were only to think about

the techniques and topics taught was for one hour per week.  That's why

CBT therapists assign reading assignments and encourage their clients to

 practice the techniques learned.