Introduction
Celebrities from Harry Styles to Michelle Obama have been open about therapy and its benefits. One of the most commonly practiced therapies is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT, according to the APA, is a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness. The therapist will focus on changing the negative mindset and the habitual behavioral and thought processes the client may have when faced with a negative experience.
CBT focuses on the individual, training them to be their own therapists. Therapists will work with clients to develop personal coping strategies that will stay with the person throughout their lifetime and help them in stressful situations in the future.
Who Is It For?
CBT is often for people who suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and trauma-related disorders. Furthermore, CBT tends to be a more structured type of therapy and requires the patient’s patience and willingness to change.
It is also okay for CBT to not work for you. Individuals feel the benefits of therapy from different types of therapies and different therapists. Therefore, no one solution fixes all people’s problems, even for two individuals with the same diagnosis.
Experience
A client’s experience with CBT from StrongerMinds shows positive effects of CBT. After the sudden loss of a family member, the client’s mental health was plummeting. They were referred to CBT psychotherapy by their GP instead of medication. They said that “just being able to talk to [their] psychotherapist, who was kind and empathetic, made [them] feel better over time.”
The therapist helped the client break the cycle of negative thoughts and create healthy coping mechanisms. For example, they were “asked to keep a daily ‘thought diary’, writing down what the thought was, how it made [them] feel physically/emotionally, and how [they] could approach the situation the next time this particular thought popped up in [their] head, for a more positive outcome.” This person still uses the mechanisms in times of negativity.
Conclusion
Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for various mental problems. But, just like ice cream flavors, there are many flavors of therapy, some you may prefer over others. Preference plays a major role in what therapy and therapist work with you. Hence, CBT is heavily studied and objectively effective, but some people do great with it while others don’t. If a therapist does not work with you, do not beat yourself up.
Therapy is a game of trial and error, but CBT is a great place to start!
Writer: Isara Moriya
Sources
Great and educative piece Isara. This has to be shared on all social media handles because of it's deep insights.
Keep it up