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I. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping you understand the thoughts and feelings that influence your behaviors.

“CBT is a type of therapy that can help you identify automatic negative thoughts and allows you the insight to challenge and replace these thoughts with ones that are more accurate and helpful,” says Bridget Russell, LCSW. “This strategy can be very useful in increasing well-being and ultimately gives a person the ability to learn how to reframe their thoughts in a more positive way in real-time.”

CBT is one of the most common forms of psychotherapy and is used to treat a wide range of disorders. People may be treated using CBT to address depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, addictions, eating disorders, phobias, and various other issues.

Treatment is generally short-term and targets a specific problem. CBT helps you identify and change destructive beliefs and thought patterns that are negatively impacting your behaviors. It provides you with the tools to solve your psychological problems by focusing on the present experience rather than the past.

What you should know about cognitive behavioral therapy:

  • What’s it like to get cognitive behavioral therapy?
  • What does cognitive behavioral therapy help with?
  • How to find a cognitive behavioral therapist near you
  • How can you prepare for cognitive behavioral therapy?

II. What's it like to get cognitive behavioral therapy?

CBT is an evidenced-based, problem-oriented strategy that focuses on a problem and finds a solution for it. People may seek CBT for life stressors, such as marital distress, the death of a loved one, or job loss. Research shows that CBT has been very effective for psychological problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, addictions, eating disorders, and phobias, among others.

Feeling angry or hopeless all the time, becoming socially withdrawn, experiencing overwhelming fatigue without a medical cause are all reasons to try CBT. Any emotional concern or mental health issue affecting your daily life and function may indicate it’s time for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Before you decide CBT is the right type of mental health therapy for you, consider that it’s best suited for those who are comfortable with examining their own thinking. You must be willing to analyze your thoughts and feelings around an experience for CBT to be effective.

CBT combines cognitive and behavioral therapies and helps you learn the skills to address specific problems. It’s different from other talk therapies because your CBT therapist won’t just discuss your issue and offer advice. They help you learn better ways to manage the mental health problem you’re having now and better equip you to handle future problems. Getting CBT therapy can also reduce symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, and low self-esteem to improve your quality of life and functioning over the long term.

Medications are sometimes used first to relieve the worst of your symptoms before you start your therapy. A variety of therapies may be combined for your CBT treatment. CBT may also utilize problem-solving strategies, relaxation exercises, pain relief methods, and stress reduction techniques. The exact treatments used largely depend on the specific type, duration, and severity of your problem.

III. How to find a cognitive behavioral therapist

Finding a cognitive behavioral therapist near you who’s a good fit is vital for feeling comfortable working with your CBT therapist in a collaborative relationship.

The best therapist helps you learn new strategies, such as calming your mind and relaxing your body, facing your fears instead of avoiding them, and preparing for potentially uncomfortable interactions with others through role-playing.

When choosing a mental health professional, consider everything that might make you more comfortable working with them. The best therapist for you may be the same or opposite gender, or they may be your age or younger or older. You may feel more comfortable having a therapist with similar religious beliefs or one sensitive to gender diversity and various sexual orientations. These and other demographics can impact your comfort level.

Cognitive behavioral therapists are mental health professionals, so they must be licensed by the state in which they practice. Licensure usually requires a doctoral or master’s degree, numerous hours of supervised counseling experience, and passing a licensing exam. Explore a therapist’s qualifications specifically in CBT, especially whether they’ve earned any certifications in the field. The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) can help you find qualified cognitive behavioral therapists near you in the United States, as can the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists (NACBT).

Although CBT is considered a short-term treatment, there isn’t a standard length of treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapists usually charge per session, with sessions scheduled once per week. You may feel better after just a few sessions, or it may take several months, which often hinges on the type and severity of the problem you’re having. While cost shouldn’t be the sole factor when choosing a CBT therapist, be sure you budget for an undetermined number of sessions. If you have health insurance and your therapist accepts insurance, it may cover part of your mental health costs. Some mental health professionals offer a sliding fee scale with charges based on your income.

IV. What does cognitive behavioral therapy help with?

CBT emphasizes cognitive techniques but also incorporates behavioral strategies, such as scheduling activities to help overcome depression or exposing yourself to your fears to help conquer feelings of anxiousness. CBT has been proven effective in treating a broad array of mental health disorders and emotional concerns, including:

  • Anxiety disorders: Anything that causes excessive fear or anxiety could be an anxiety disorder, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, or PTSD.
  • PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed a scary, dangerous, or life-threatening event. PTSD is common among combat veterans, but anyone can develop PTSD at any age.
  • Substance use disorders (SUDs): SUDs occur when you continue to use alcohol or legal or illegal drugs, despite harmful physical effects and adverse consequences at home, work, or school.
  • Emotional challenges: Any short-term, highly emotional situations, such as relationship conflicts, unfavorable medical diagnoses, divorce, or job loss, could trigger a need for CBT.

V. How can you prepare for cognitive behavioral therapy?

To prepare for your initial CBT session, set goals by thinking specifically about the changes you want to make in your relationships and/or at home, work, or school. Consider the symptoms that have been bothering you and how long they’ve been a problem. Document behaviors you’d like to change or symptoms you’d like to eliminate. Share all this information with your mental health professional. They will help you evaluate and refine your goals while helping you determine which goals you might be able to reach on your own and which ones will benefit from CBT.

VI. What are common cognitive behavioral therapy treatments?

Several basic techniques are used in traditional CBT, but there are also numerous other therapies used as treatments that fall under the CBT umbrella. These therapies use elements of CBT or build on CBT techniques to treat specific problems. Techniques and therapies can include:

VII. What else can help?

CBT can only be successful if you actively take part in treatment and work on your problems between sessions.

You may be asked to record your thoughts in a journal, then your mental health professional helps you determine whether you perceived things appropriately and realistically or if you behave differently in certain situations. Your therapist may supplement CBT with readings or workbooks. It also might help you to jot down what you’d like to discuss in your next session or what you learned in a session that you’d like to use in your everyday life.

author-img
LCSW

Bridget Russell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California with specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and managing chronic health conditions. She is a senior manager of oncology patient access at Amgen in Los Angeles. Russell received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from California State University Northridge in 2011 and her master’s degree in mental health and medical social work from University of Washington in 2015. She’s been a social worker since 2015.

After her master’s program, Russell worked as an inpatient and outpatient medical social worker at a Level 1 Trauma hospital helping patients and families navigate health and mental health challenges. She provided psychosocial support and also enabled patients with therapeutic techniques and strategies to address medical and emotional trauma as well as grief and loss.

Russell works in the patient engagement space, creating patient support programs to help people access necessary support during their oncology journey. She also works in private practice as a telehealth therapist, specializing in helping adults navigate job and relationship stress, new life transitions, and managing ongoing anxiety and depression. Her mission is to empower her clients to live productive and healthy lives while growing into the best versions of themselves based on their values, goals, and aspirations.

author-img
LCSW

Bridget Russell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California with specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and managing chronic health conditions. She is a senior manager of oncology patient access at Amgen in Los Angeles. Russell received her bachelor’s degree in exercise science from California State University Northridge in 2011 and her master’s degree in mental health and medical social work from University of Washington in 2015. She’s been a social worker since 2015.

After her master’s program, Russell worked as an inpatient and outpatient medical social worker at a Level 1 Trauma hospital helping patients and families navigate health and mental health challenges. She provided psychosocial support and also enabled patients with therapeutic techniques and strategies to address medical and emotional trauma as well as grief and loss.

Russell works in the patient engagement space, creating patient support programs to help people access necessary support during their oncology journey. She also works in private practice as a telehealth therapist, specializing in helping adults navigate job and relationship stress, new life transitions, and managing ongoing anxiety and depression. Her mission is to empower her clients to live productive and healthy lives while growing into the best versions of themselves based on their values, goals, and aspirations.

VIII. Sources