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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most effective and best-studied therapeutic approaches. It is mainly used in the treatment of mental disorders of depression or anxiety. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and what is its effectiveness?

Cognitive behavioral therapywas developed in the 1960s by the American psychiatrist Aaron Beck. The main assumption of this form of therapeutic treatment is the belief that thoughts, emotions and human behavior influence each other, creating patterns of behavior that are not always correct. Experiencing life, a person, under the influence of emotions, consolidates certain specific behaviors in specific situations. Sometimes he copies the behavior of others, translating them into his own life. He reacts to various phenomena and situations as he is used to, often unaware that it is hurting others or causing both problems. If, for example, he is a pessimist, he will see everything in black. People consolidate their behavior and perception of the world through experience, so it is difficult for them to go beyond these internally established frameworks afterwards. Therapy is needed when fixed behaviors or beliefs are not objective and may be inappropriate. The problem with the disturbance of the perception of the world becomes the subject of therapeutic treatment. Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy allows you to detect these distorted interpretations of reality and replace them with the correct ones.

Cognitive behavioral therapy - for whom?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is best suited for treating anxiety and depression-based disorders. This therapy is very effective and that is why it is most often used to lead patients out of phobias, panic disorders, neuroses, depression, bulimia, compulsive-obsessive disorders, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress. This type of therapy also works well for treating postnatal depression or as a stress management technique. It is also used in the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Worth knowing

Psychotherapy is the most commonly used method of treating mental disorders. It can be the only form of work on the patient's psyche or supplement pharmacological treatment.A feature of all types of psychotherapy is the personal contact between the doctor and the patient. Various approaches are used in psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis, humanistic and existential therapy, systemic therapy or the cognitive-behavioral approach. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be one of the best researched therapies in clinical practice. Its effectiveness has been proven by many studies, which is why doctors often use this proven method of psychotherapy.

The course of cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on current problems, the most important thing is here and now. Treatment usually does not reflect on the past, although there are exceptional situations when it is unavoidable.

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is a short-term therapy.

The duration of the therapy is approximately twenty sessions once or twice a week. The session itself does not usually last more than one hour.

One of the most important elements of a successful therapy is the cooperation between the therapist and the patient. Thanks to cognitive-behavioral therapy, it is possible to decompose a situation into prime factors, resulting in a distorted perception. In this process, the following should be highlighted:

  • stimulus, i.e. a specific situation that triggers the patient's action,
  • specific way of thinking of the patient in a given situation,
  • feelings and physical sensations that result from specific thinking
  • the behavior (action) that is in effect represented by the patient.

In cognitive behavioral therapy, the doctor tries to find the connection between the thoughts, emotions and actions of the patient. So he has to analyze difficult situations and find the thoughts that led to the misinterpretation of reality. At the same time, he must make the patient aware of how irrational the reactions he previously presented were and give him hope that he can change his perception of the world.

Finding the stimulus responsible for the abnormal reaction is defined as the cognitive part of the therapy. The behavioral side of therapy consists of experiments aimed at teaching the patient new reactions and behaviors, without the burden of emotional burdens. Testing new situations allows you to change your behavior, develop habits, learn completely new reactions to stimuli.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques

This therapy uses many behavioral and cognitive techniques. One of them is the so-called Socratic dialogue. The name comes from the form - this technique means asking the patient questions by the therapist. This is done in such a way as to make it yourselfthe patient discovered the source of his beliefs and tendencies. The role of the doctor is to ask, listen to the patient's answer and pay attention to the contradictions appearing in his statements, but in such a way that the patient finally comes to new conclusions and solutions. As it happens in the Socratic dialogue, in this conversation the therapist uses many helpful techniques such as: paradox, exaggeration, probing, etc. These elements, thanks to appropriate application, effectively influence changes in the patient's thinking.

In addition to the Socratic dialogue, the doctor may also use other methods of exerting influence, such as shifting attention or distraction. In the process of therapy, the doctor also refers to stress instilling training. All this to develop the habit of appropriate response in the face of stressful situations.

The effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy is not only a change in behavior, but also making the patient aware of the consequences of introducing this change. All this to develop new habits and reactions. The patient should be able to adequately respond to negative thoughts when they arise. The success of therapy is to develop an appropriate response to stimuli that previously encountered misinterpretation in a person with disorders. The real test of new skills is putting them into practice in normal life, outside the psychotherapist's office.

Advantages of Cognitive Behavior Therapy

The main arguments behind cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy are its high effectiveness, which has been repeatedly confirmed by clinical trials. The advantage of this form of treatment is the development of the patient's self-awareness, who after the therapy obtains self-control over their behavior. This potential stays in the patient for a longer time, also after the end of the therapy, and allows him to prevent recurrence of his disorders. The added value of the therapy is the improvement of the patient's quality of life. He gains motivation to act and higher self-esteem.

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

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Category:

Psychology