What is C.B.T.? Find Out Why We Think It’s So Awesome!
At Clarity we think C.B.T. is awesome! At Clarity Counseling Center we believe our therapy patients deserve the very best treatments-treatments that have empirical support. Fortunately, one of those treatments is available at clarity—it’s called C.B.T.. Research on the effectiveness of treatment can be summarized in “meta-analyses” where numerous studies can be surveyed. C.B.T. has been found to be effective for a wide range of disorders. The results (repeatedly) speak for themselves. C.B.T. works.
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT for short) is a therapeutic technique thathas been shown to effectively treat all different types of disorders. As per the Beck Institute “CBT is a psychotherapy that is based on the cognitive model: the way that individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. One important part of CBT is helping clients change their unhelpful thinking and behavior that lead to enduring improvement in their mood and functioning.”
We’ll use anxiety in this explanation and description.
Cognitive component (the “C” of CBT) helps people identify and question the thinking patterns that cause or trigger the feelings of anxiety. We call these thoughts-gone-awry “cognitive distortions” or “thinking traps.” For example, those with anxiety often engage in fortune telling, or predicting a negative outcome. (“I just know I’m going to fail my test.” CBT can help question the validity of these negative and usually automatic thoughts. It can also help replace those thoughts with more accurate and balanced alternatives, like “I studied as much as I could, and I’ve never failed a test in this class before. I will give it my best.”
The behavioral component (the “B” of CBT) consists of exposure and desensitization. With the help of a therapist, patients build up their exposure to anxiety provoking situations, while using some of the relaxation tools they’ve been learning in therapy. For example, somebody with a fear of public speaking might start by imagining herself giving a speech to a small group of people. Next, she gives a short speech to two people and slowly works her way up to giving a speech to a larger group of people. The idea behind this approach is that the patient’s sensitivity drops, and their ability to calm and self-soothe improves. They learn from repeated experience not to fear the problematic situation.
The therapeutic component (the “T” of CBT) is the emotional/feeling piece, and is the outcome and measurement of the all the hard work done toward the first two components. With work toward the cognitive and behavioral aspects of your anxiety, you are going to feel more in control and feel less anxious.
If you think CBT might be right for you contact us at Clarity today for a free consultation, to schedule an appointment, or for more information!
