CBT: What is it?
Most evidence-based therapies include components of CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Extensive research has shown that CBT is highly effective for treating most psychological conditions and disorders, and equally or more effective than other types of therapy or medication.
This is great news, but what is CBT?
Generally speaking, it is a model that addresses how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all interrelated and may affect mental health, coping, and outcomes.
A primary focus of CBT includes identifying and labeling emotions/ feelings. Understanding emotions can help provide clarity about how they may affect the other points in the triangle (i.e., thoughts and behaviors). Often, this also includes learning additional coping skills to identify and manage emotions in a helpful way.
Another focus of CBT is identifying and challenging inaccurate or unhelpful thinking patterns. This is a common focus of treatment for disorders such as depression or anxiety.
This is not about simply trying to “think positively,” as that is not an effective way of adjusting cognitions. It is actually about gathering evidence to determine the most accurate way of thinking and interpreting a situation, because our brains can trick us into believing things that may not be true, affecting the way we view ourselves, others, and the world.
Another common target of CBT is maladaptive behaviours. An example is exposure therapy for conditions like phobias. This essentially involves “facing your fears” instead of avoiding them, as avoidance increases fear and reinforces problematic patterns. Similarly, the treatment for OCD works along the same mechanisms but is applied in a more specific way, and is called exposure and response prevention (ERP).
But what does CBT look like in practice?
Here’s an example of what these principles may look like in kids and how we treat them:
Perhaps a child believes the other kids at school won’t like them (this is the thought/ cognition). This may result in withdrawing from peer interactions at school, or refusing to go to school (the behaviors). The child may also feel sad and anxious when thinking about school and peers (the emotions).
A CBT approach to address this may include a behavioural intervention where the child tries to make small, intentional, and planned connections with others, such as asking somebody to play at recess. This will then inform the cognitive intervention, where the child may then be able to establish a more accurate replacement thought of: “It’s possible that not everybody will like me, but lots of kids do like to play with me at recess.”
Coping skills to address the emotional components of sadness and anxiety may also be helpful (e.g., relaxation and mindfulness skills).
There are several ways that CBT is used to treat mental health concerns, and the exact approach will depend on the presenting concern, the individual, and several other factors. A good psychologist will use evidence-based approaches that are individualized to fit your precise needs to ensure that the treatment is the best fit for you.
If you or your family are interested in learning how CBT may help address specific mental health concerns, talk with your therapist to determine your options.
