Cognitive behavioral therapy

CBT Therapy is one of the most frequently used tools in the psychologist’s toolbox.

What is cognitive behavioral therapy (cBT)?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to change our thought patterns, our conscious and unconscious beliefs, our attitudes, and, ultimately, our behavior, in order to help us face difficulties and achieve our goals.

Most CBT therapy sessions last from 5-10 months, with clients participating in one-on-one 50-60 minute session per week.

who is this therapy for?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is for people with cognitive distortions such as:

  • Filtering
  • Polarized thinking/black and white thinking
  • Overgeneralization
  • Jumping to conclusions
  • Catastrophizing/Magnifying or minimizing
  • Personalization
  • Control fallacies
  • Fallacy of fairness
  • Global labeling/mislabeling
  • Always being right
  • Heaven’s reward fallacy

What to expect during Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a hands-on approach that requires both the therapist and the client to be invested in the process and willing to actively participate. Identifying the problem and identifying the motivator of the problem are 2 very different challenges.  This type of therapy assumes the motivator is some form of relief of historical pain. This is how CBT Therapy works:

#1

Coping Styles Worksheet

The client lists any current perceived problems or difficulties as – “The Problem”.

The therapist and the client will work backward to list risk factors (i.e., why you are more likely to experience these problems than someone else) and triggers or events (i.e., the stimulus or source of these problems).

#2

ABC Functional Analysis

One popular technique in CBT is the ABC functional analysis.

This technique helps our client learn about what leads to specific behaviors and what consequences result from those behaviors.

#3

Case Formulation Worksheet

In CBT, there are 4 “P’s” in Case Formulation:

  • Predisposing factors
  • Precipitating factors
  • Perpetuating factors
  • Protective factors

These help our therapists understand what might be leading a perceived problem to arise, and what might prevent our clients from being tackled effectively.

#4

Case Formulation Worksheet

This helps our client address the “Four P Factors” described just above—predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and protective factors.

This formulation process can help our client connect the dots between core beliefs, thought patterns, and present behavior.

#5

Dysfunctional Thought Record

This step is helpful for people who struggle with negative thoughts and need to figure out why those thoughts are most likely to pop up.

Learning more about what provokes certain automatic thoughts makes it easier for our therapists to address and reverse.

#6

Fact-checking

This helps our clients to see that while we have lots of emotionally charged thoughts, they are not all objective truths.

Recognizing the difference between fact and opinion can assist our therapists in challenging the dysfunctional or harmful opinions that the clients have about themselves and others.

#7

Cognitive Restructuring

The last step of the CBT process employs the use of Socratic questioning – a technique that can help the user to challenge irrational or illogical thoughts.