What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
This type of behavioral therapy helps the person struggling to become cognizant of their negative or harmful thinking patterns and behaviors. This then enables individuals to begin viewing stressful situations and triggers with a clearer mind. It also helps them to have a much more effective response to the situation they are facing, whether it is something from the past or a present issue or concern.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an extremely beneficial way to treat mental health issues and disorders in all types of individuals. This technique works in combination with other therapies during recovery to help achieve true behavior modification and give the best chance at improved mental health.
Cognitive behavioral therapy may improve the following health challenges including but not limited to:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Helps Address the Following Life Circumstances:
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Meant to Accomplish?
Typically, cognitive behavioral therapy can bring up very sensitive and painful emotions and may feel unpleasant at some points in your journey.
Exposure therapy, a method that cognitive behavioral therapists sometimes use, will require you to face instances and circumstances in your life that you would typically avoid. Overcoming fears, irrational and/or valid, is one of the main focuses of cognitive behavioral therapy.
These challenging feelings are normal and to be expected. However, when you work with our medical professionals at Nova Mental Health, our staff’s goal is to minimize discomfort and equip you with the coping skills you need to assist you with overcoming fears or negative feelings.
What to Expect in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy usually takes place in an individual therapy setting, but it can also be part of group therapy sessions. It can include family, friends, as well as other individuals who share the mental health struggle.
In the beginning, your behavioral therapist will get a general understanding of you as an individual and will discuss with you what issues you would like to focus on.
This leads to a more comprehensive understanding of your particular needs. In turn, this enables the treatment staff to give you the best chance at lasting, improved mental health. While in CBT, your behavioral therapist may recommend alternative treatments like medication and even holistic treatments.
Additionally, your behavioral therapist will assist you in opening up about your negative feelings or thoughts during your treatment. It is very common for people to feel uncomfortable about discussing sensitive topics, however, you can rest assured that our behavioral therapists are fully medically trained and they are here to provide you with comfort and guidance. Their goal is to help boost your confidence which will eventually make it easier for you to “open up”.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on setting goals for individual achievement. You may need to do some reading, therapeutic practices, and even homework to assist you during your behavioral therapy sessions. This works to set milestones for achievement and help to modify behavior in a self-rewarding structure.
Steps included in cognitive behavioral therapy may include but are not limited to:
Identify
This step is meant to pinpoint the conditions or situations that currently affect you or have affected you in the past that have negative effects and/or emotions. These issues range from grief, loss, divorce or relationship issues, family problems, childhood trauma, a chronic or serious medical condition, anger problems, or any negative effects or side effects of a mental health issue.
Your behavioral therapist will work with you to determine what your focus should be on and to assist you in setting goals to maintain a life of sobriety and improve your mental health.
Awareness
This step helps individuals to learn to be cognizant of their emotions, beliefs, and thoughts when facing life’s challenges and issues. At this stage, your behavioral therapist will hone your skills during talk therapy by discussing your emotions during times of stress or high emotions.
A diary or journal is often used to help you express these feelings. This awareness helps to modify future behavior by encouraging more mindful behavior.
Recognize
This step encourages and assists people in identifying false thinking or negative mindsets. While in treatment, you will learn to analyze your patterns of behavior and thinking since these often lead to deeper problems. You will be encouraged to pay close attention to your behavioral, emotional, and physical responses during an emotional or physical struggle.
Modify
This component of treatment helps you to adjust those false thinking and negative thoughts. During this final step, you will find that your behavioral therapist will stimulate your mind by having you take a look at how you view certain situations; based on facts or false thinking?
These negative behaviors are not learned overnight so depending on how long you have battled with this type of negative or false thinking, it will often determine the length of time you spend in cognitive behavioral therapy.
How Long Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Last?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is typically applied on a short term basis. However, our program is designed for the individual and sometimes long term care is necessary.
Short-term therapy will typically last between five (5) to twenty (20) sessions. But again, some people continue with cognitive behavioral therapy sessions as a way to maintain their well-being and continue to improve their mental health.
Some factors that may influence the number of cognitive behavioral therapy sessions include, but are not limited to
The Results of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is not necessarily a cure for your emotional challenges. Neither CBT nor any other type of therapy can be considered as the “magic wand” that will make negative situations caused by painful circumstances of your life’s experiences go away.
However, if you listen to and work along with your behavioral therapist, they can assist you in learning how to cope with these difficult situations in a healthier manner resulting in better treatment of yourself and a healthier way of life.
Interested in Learning More About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? Let Us Help!
Our dedicated staff at Nova Mental Health is committed to assisting our clients in any way we can. If you or a loved one are seeking quality treatment, we are available around-the-clock to answer any questions you might have.
