What Techniques Are Used With CBT
What Techniques Are Used With CBT
What Techniques Are Used With CBT
CBT?
The key principle behind CBT is that your thought patterns affect your
emotions, which, in turn, can affect your behaviors.
Your therapist will teach you how to make changes you can implement right
now. These are skills you can continue to use for the rest of your life.
Depending on the issue you’re dealing with and your goals, there are several
ways to approach CBT. Whatever approach your therapist takes, it will
include:
After speaking with you and learning more about the issue you want help with,
your therapist will decide on the best CBT strategies to use.
Some of the techniques that are most often used with CBT include the
following 9 strategies:
1. Cognitive restructuring or reframing
Your therapist will ask about your thought process in certain situations so you
can identify negative patterns. Once you’re aware of them, you can learn how
to reframe those thoughts so they’re more positive and productive.
For example: “I blew the report because I’m totally useless” can become “That
report wasn’t my best work, but I’m a valuable employee and I contribute in
many ways.”
2. Guided discovery
You might be asked to give evidence that supports your assumptions, as well
as evidence that does not.
In the process, you’ll learn to see things from other perspectives, especially
ones that you may not have considered before. This can help you choose a
more helpful path.
3. Exposure therapy
Exposure therapy can be used to confront fears and phobias. The therapist
will slowly expose you to the things that provoke fear or anxiety, while
providing guidance on how to cope with them in the moment.
This can be done in small increments. Eventually, exposure can make you
feel less vulnerable and more confident in your coping abilities.
Your therapist may ask you to list negative thoughts that occurred to you
between sessions, as well as positive thoughts you can choose instead.
Another writing exercise is to keep track of the new thoughts and new
behaviors you put into practice since the last session. Putting it in writing can
help you see how far you’ve come.
If there’s an activity you tend to put off or avoid due to fear or anxiety, getting
it on your calendar can help. Once the burden of decision is gone, you may be
more likely to follow through.
Activity scheduling can help establish good habits and provide ample
opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice.
6. Behavioral experiments
Over time, you may start to see that the predicted catastrophe is actually not
very likely to happen. You’ll likely start with lower-anxiety tasks and build up
from there.
In CBT, you may be taught some progressive relaxation techniques, such as:
8. Role playing
Role playing can help you work through different behaviors in potentially
difficult situations. Playing out possible scenarios can lessen fear and can be
used for:
9. Successive approximation
This involves taking tasks that seem overwhelming and breaking them into
smaller, more achievable steps. Each successive step builds upon the
previous steps so you gain confidence as you go, bit by bit.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-limited
Depending on your situation and your SMART goals, the therapist might
recommend individual, family, or group therapy.
Sessions generally last about an hour and take place once a week, though
this can vary according to individual needs and availability.
Homework is also part of the process, so you’ll be asked to fill out worksheets,
a journal, or perform certain tasks between sessions.
Open communication and feeling comfortable with your therapist are key. If
you don’t feel completely comfortable with your therapist, try to find a therapist
you can connect with and open up to more easily.
Look for a therapist who’s trained in CBT and who has experience treating
your specific problem. Check to make sure they’re properly certified and
licensed.
You may want to talk to your doctor or other healthcare providers for
recommendations. Practitioners may include:
psychiatrists
psychologists
psychiatric nurse practitioners
social workers
marriage and family therapists
other professionals with mental health training
Most of the time, CBT takes a few weeks to a few months to start seeing
results.
ADVERTISEMENT
addictions
anxiety disorders
bipolar disorders
chronic pain
depression
eating disorders
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
phobias
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
schizophrenia
sexual disorders
sleep disorders
tinnitus
It’s a very individual thing, but in the beginning, some people might find
it stressful or uncomfortable to confront their problems.
Some types of CBT, like exposure therapy, can increase stress and
anxiety while you’re working your way through it.
It doesn’t work overnight. It takes commitment and willingness to work
on new techniques between sessions and after therapy has ended. It’s
helpful to think of CBT as a lifestyle change that you intend to follow and
improve upon throughout your life.
Here, moods are the fundamental feelings that we have, but they are not
thoughts about the situation. Drs Greenberger and Padesky suggest an easy
way to distinguish moods from thoughts: you can usually describe moods in
one word, while thoughts are more complex.
"The flaw was minor and did not alter the conclusions."
"The analysis was objectively sound, and my suggestion was realistic
and well-founded."
"I was top of my class when I trained in the analysis method."
"My clients respect my analysis, and my opinion."
As you can see, these statements are fairer and more rational than the
reactive thoughts.
If you still feel uncertain, discuss the situation with other people, or test the
question in some other way.
When you come to a balanced view, write these thoughts down. The balanced
thoughts in this example might now include:
Next, reflect on what you could do about the situation. (By taking a balanced
view, the situation may cease to be important, and you might decide that you
don't need to take action.)
Calm yourself.
Write down the situation that triggered the negative thoughts.
Identify the moods that you felt in the situation.
Write down the automatic thoughts you experienced when you felt the
mood. The most significant of these are your "hot thoughts."
Identify the evidence that supports these hot thoughts.
Identify the evidence that contradicts the hot thoughts.
Now, identify fair, balanced thoughts about the situation.
Finally, observe your mood now, and decide on your next steps.
Go through this process when you experience a negative mood, or when you
feel fear, apprehension, or anxiety about a person or event.
oi