Cognitive Therapy is any therapeutic approach that teaches people new beliefs, new expectations, and new ways of thinking. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a cognitive therapy in that this method focuses on changing the cognitive (thought) processes that in turn, affect behavioral changes. CBT uses cognitive restructuring, which teaches an individual how to identify negative, irrational beliefs and replace them with truthful, rational statements.
This form of educational therapy is different than the traditional form of talk therapy. Instead of delving into the past for the source of problems, this therapy focuses on what is going on at the present time, what perpetuates the problem, and teaches what can be done to alleviate the problem. Compared to traditional psychotherapy, cognitive therapy is a short-term, highly structured form of therapy. The patient takes a proactive role in CBT, with a trained therapist to guide them.
Disorders Treated
Disorders treated by CBT include anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, substance abuse, depression, relationship problems and learning difficulties.
IN CBT, therapists work with individuals to help them identify those thoughts and those behaviors that are connected with their problem. The individual learns how their thoughts, emotions and behavior are connected, and how to examine their primary beliefs. They are taught how to recognize distorted thinking and how to consider alternatives to these beliefs, and thus restructure their self-harming beliefs.
Tools
Cognitive Behavior Therapy uses diaries and charts in order to help the individual identify the problems, the triggers, and the thought processes. The therapy usually consists of three areas:
1. Cognitive - what the individual thinks. The individuals are trained to identify and stop negative thoughts, to slow down in talking and moving, how to accept themselves more readily, and to use positive self-statements.
2. Emotional - teaching the individual how to calm him or herself to allow the thought processes to work more slowly and rationally.
3. Behavioral - what the individual does. The individual is taught how to use their newly achieved thought processes to carry them through their actions and reactions.
See the FamilyIQ Course, Cognitive Behavior Therapy for more information and CBT applications.
Shari Landes worked as a senior researcher in experimental psychology at Princeton University for 15 years, primarily studying learning, cognition, and linguistics. She has an extensive web presence, beginning with the development of one of the first websites that provided resources on ADHD and related disorders. She has published numerous research articles and book chapters (MIT Press).
