Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is a popular therapy approach due to its effectiveness and accessibility. At its core, CBT is about the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Cognition refers to mental activities such as thoughts, memories, problem-solving, and reasoning. Behaviors are the various actions we take throughout our day, including both outward actions and internal actions. Putting these ideas together (cognitive + behavior), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy encourages us to connect the dots between our behaviors and our thoughts, allowing us to identify thought patterns and beliefs that impact our behaviors, and vice versa.
Research shows that CBT can be a highly effective tool in treating various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD. By paying more attention to our thoughts and their impact on how we’re feeling, we can identify negative thought patterns and reframe them with more productive beliefs that in turn allow us to take actions that will serve us better. Anxiety therapists often offer CBT as an impactful treatment for the improvement of anxiety symptoms.
What Does CBT Look Like in Practice?
CBT centers around the empowering idea that you yourself have the tools to improve your mood and daily functioning by taking control of your thoughts and feelings. This understanding grows from a collaborative relationship with your CBT therapist.
A CBT therapist will work with you to assess whether cognitive behavioral therapy may be an effective treatment depending on your needs and goals. In practice, they may incorporate a mix of the following techniques or applications:
1. Thought Records – Your therapist may encourage you to track your thoughts in a journal or the notes app on your phone. This allows you to identify both helpful and negative thoughts. From there, you can question thoughts that are not helpful and then start to reframe them in a more positive way.
2. Connect Values with Behaviors – Working with your therapist, it may be beneficial to define your own values and goals. Then, you will pay attention to your current behaviors and the actions you take in your day-to-day life. Cross-referencing your behaviors against your values enables you to identify where there’s alignment and where there may be gaps. With this knowledge, you can work with your therapist to create a structured schedule that will allow you to prioritize actions that align with your values.
3. Skill Building – This is an effective strategy where you can work with your therapist to develop tools that help you better manage your emotions and thoughts. After identifying which specific techniques may be helpful, your therapist can work with you to create a plan for building your capabilities. Skills may include mindfulness, conflict resolution, self-soothing, time management, relaxation techniques, assertiveness training, confidence, and healthy boundaries.
4. Exposure Therapy – Exposure therapy helps individuals confront and lessen their fears and anxieties with gentle exposure in a safe and supported environment. This is a step-by-step process that is always done at the pace that you’re comfortable with. Exposure therapy has proven especially effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders and OCD, and can help individuals build confidence in their ability to manage situations.
5. Collaboration and Goal Setting – CBT is personalized, structured, and collaborative. Together, with the CBT practitioner, you will work to identify goals and build out a structured plan. The CBT therapist can draw on their experience to help you set realistic goals and then support you in order to reach these goals.
CBT is proven to be a powerful way for individuals to improve their mental well-being. By learning to challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors, CBT empowers individuals to take control of their lives and foster lasting positive change.
CBT and ANXIETY Therapist in Evanston, IL or Online
If you’re searching for “cognitive behavioral therapy near me,” feel free to reach out to Sarah Van Nostrand at Moonrise Therapy to see if she might be a good fit. Sarah offers various types of therapy, including CBT and anxiety counseling for women, both online and in-person in Evanston, IL. She provides a welcoming space to make progress on your healing journey. Healing is possible, and I’d love to schedule a consultation if you’d like to get started.
