Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy. It is a transformative tool that enables clients to identify negative thinking patterns and feelings and modify them into something more positive, healthy, and productive. CBT does not simply stop there; it also equips clients with the knowledge of how these thinking patterns and feelings affect behavior to foster lasting change.

CBT is focused on the present. It does not delve into past experiences in great detail, unlike, say, psychoanalytic therapy or psychodynamic therapy. By staying with the present, it helps cope with problematic circumstances in a healthy, effective manner. Consequently, it is used in the treatment of different mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, and maintains an overall quality of life.

If you are in Los Angeles and dealing with any specific mental health concerns or looking to improve your overall well-being, exploring CBT options can be the first step toward a balanced and fulfilling life. At NuView Treatment Center, we build on this approach and enable clients to identify and change their negative thinking patterns, feelings, and behaviors. Through evidence-based practices, we support them on their path to recovery and healing.

Benefits Of CBT Therapy

The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to teach the client that they can control how they interpret things within their environment, and in doing so, deal with them more effectively. The many benefits to be gained by undergoing CBT are:

• Develop healthier thinking patterns –

  Can overcome irrational, negative thoughts that lead to negative emotions.

• Reshape maladaptive behaviors – 

  By identifying and changing negative thinking patterns, maladaptive behaviors like substance use, binge eating, and other similar behaviors can be reshaped into healthy ones. 

• Affordable – 

  CBT is an affordable form of psychotherapy.

• Short-term – 

  CBT is a short-term psychotherapy, therefore, it is not time-consuming. Effects can be observed within 5 – 20 sessions itself.

• Flexible – 

  There are flexible options available within CBT. It can be conducted in person and even online.

Types Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

At its core, cognitive behavioral therapy comprises different strategies and techniques aimed at addressing the relationship between thinking patterns, emotions, and behaviors. Different types of psychotherapies and self-help practices can utilize this approach. Some of them are:

• Cognitive Therapy – 

Identifies and reshapes distorted and unhealthy thinking patterns, emotions, and behaviors.

• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) – 

Identifies irrational thinking patterns or beliefs, challenges them, and reshapes them.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – 

Recognizes destructive thinking patterns and behaviors, and treats them using a wide variety of techniques like mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

• Multimodal Therapy – 

A more holistic approach to psychotherapy, which believes that psychotherapy must address all seven modalities of Behavior, Affect, Sensation, Imagery, Cognition, Interpersonal factors, and Biological factors. These modalities are better known by the acronym, BASIC I.D. It uses CBT as a part of its approach.

What All Conditions Are Treated In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions. As a short-term therapy, it works by focusing on the present and reshaping maladaptive thinking patterns, emotions, and behaviors.

CBT treats the following:

• Substance use disorder
• Anxiety disorders
• Panic attacks
• Phobias
• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Personality disorders

Similarly, CBT can also help cope with grief, divorce/break-up, low self-esteem, stress, and chronic medical conditions.

What Are The Risks Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based therapy, but it does come with some side effects. However, these are generally low-risk.

• Emotional Discomfort – 

Clients can experience emotional discomfort during CBT. The reason being, when maladaptive thoughts, emotions, or behaviors are explored and challenged, it is only natural to feel angry, frustrated, or hurt.

• Anxiety/Stress – 

Certain aspects of CBT, like exposure therapy, require clients to confront events or conditions that can be unpleasant. This can make clients anxious and stressed.

• Victim-Blaming – 

As CBT is all about confronting clients’ own maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, it may seem like victim blaming. This can be especially draining for the clients.

• Rigid – 

CBT is very structured and leaves little scope for flexibility. It can be difficult for clients who are not used to a structured approach to adapt to it.

• Dropping Out – 

In CBT, progress is gradual. This may make some clients drop out of the therapy.

So, yes, there are certain risks associated with CBT. However, the coping skills learned during the therapy can also help mitigate them to an extent. These risks can also be greatly reduced with licensed and skilled therapists.

How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Work?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the ABC model, developed by Dr Albert Ellis. “ABC” is basically an acronym for:

•  Adversity or an activating event
• Beliefs regarding the adversity or the activity event. It can refer to the implicit or explicit thoughts about the event itself, of the person in relation to the event, and others in relation to the event.
• Consequences, which are the feelings and behaviors.

The underlying concept of the ABC model is that B is the link between A and C. It is also crucial to the therapy, as changing beliefs changes the consequences. Over time, clients learn how to recognize the B in relation to A and reshape it leading to healthier and more productive Cs.

Based on this model, the 5 stages of CBT look like this:

Stage 1: Assessment and Engagement – CBT begins with an in-depth assessment of the client, understanding their unique circumstances, needs, and goals. It is also the stage where the therapist builds a rapport with the client.

Stage 2: Formulation – CBT then moves on to the formulation stage, wherein the therapist and client explore the latter’s past experiences and beliefs that are contributing to their mental health struggles.

Stage 3: Active Intervention – The therapist and client then work toward implementing CBT strategies of identifying and challenging maladaptive thinking patterns, reshaping them, and practicing coping skills.

Stage 4: Maintenance and Relapse Prevention – The therapist and client once again reinforce the skills learned during the previous stages to prevent any kind of relapse and ensure healing.

Stage 5: Termination and Evaluation – The final stage brings an end to the therapy, where the therapist and client analyze the progress they have made and address any gaps or concerns.

Why Is CBT Done?

Cognitive behavioral therapy enables clients to understand they cannot control everything in the world. What they can control is how they respond to and interpret events. In doing so, CBT equips clients with the tools and knowledge to react to events in a healthy manner.

There are two ways to react to every event – healthy and unhealthy. For instance, consider that an abusive relationship has come to an end. The person can react to it in unhealthy ways by feeling hopeless, and worthless, and avoiding going out to meet old friends and new people. This is a vicious, negative cycle that only leads to a downward spiral. So, what CBT does is change the way the person thinks about the end of the relationship. By accepting that the relationship was toxic and ended for the best, they can become more optimistic toward life and start engaging in activities they find pleasurable.

CBT seeks to end these negative cycles in a way that makes clients stop feeling fearful, anxious, and negative toward life. By managing thinking patterns, it helps feel and do better in life.

What To Expect With CBT?

Starting off with cognitive behavioral therapy can make clients anxious, especially if new to it. So, knowing what to expect can help feel confident about what to expect. The first session, whether in-person or offline, is the first appointment that involves filling out forms like medical history, medication details, privacy forms, insurance details, and a therapist-client agreement.

The subsequent sessions involve establishing a rapport with the client, getting to know the client, and setting goals for the therapy. Then, the therapy will move on to identifying and reshaping maladaptive thinking patterns that lead to negative emotional responses and behaviors. Next comes implementing strategies that reshape maladaptive thinking patterns into healthier ones, leading to healthy emotions and behaviors.

There will be follow-up sessions as well, where the client needs to report whether the therapy is working for them and if needed what better can be done. Moreover, the therapist will suggest some CBT techniques that the client can practice between sessions, like journaling thinking patterns and practicing new skills learned during the therapy to reshape them.

How Do I Find A CBT Therapist?

If considering starting with cognitive behavioral therapy, finding a licensed and skilled therapist is the first step, however, it can also be a task. At Nuview, our medical and clinical team is committed to providing personalized care and helping find the right therapist who fits the needs and goals of our clients. We take time to assess every client’s unique circumstances and ensure that the therapeutic approach aligns with their journey toward achieving balance and healing.

Frequently Asked Question's

What are the 5 stages of CBT?

The five stages of cognitive behavioral therapy are the assessment and engagement stage, formulation stage, active intervention stage, maintenance and relapse prevention stage, and termination and evaluation stage.

What does cognitive behavioral therapy do?

Cognitive behavioral therapy works by reshaping the way the client thinks and interprets an adversity or negative event in their life. In doing so, it changes the emotional and behavioral patterns toward the adversity or negative event into something more healthy and productive.