Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Embracing new perspectives to improve quality of life
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps to uncover patterns of thought and habits that impact quality of life. In CBT, therapists and clients work together to understand thematic and specific issues, and then set and reach goals.
Cognitive behavioral therapy offers clarity on thinking patterns and perspectives that may be negatively influencing our wellbeing, and provides a clearer, more objective lens on reshaping our habits and beliefs for the better.
This type of talk therapy is structured and goal-oriented, so it can help you achieve meaningful progress in a shorter period of time. CBT is often combined with other treatments to maximize its effectiveness and positive impacts.
Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is Effective
While difficult situations are naturally a source of stress, our perceptions — and the actions that come from those perceptions — can dramatically change how we feel and function. When we think the same things over and over, the brain naturally reinforces those neural pathways. A depressed or anxious person typically unknowingly strengthens these connections by negatively thinking about themselves and the world. CBT helps loosen those negative thought connections, replacing them with positive ones.
Cognitive behavioral therapy recognizes the key role that our cognitions (beliefs), thoughts, and behaviors play in determining the quality of our experiences. It gives us the skills, awareness, and confidence to reevaluate and change our thinking patterns, motivations, and actions — liberating us from limiting beliefs or feeling stuck, and moving forward in life with a stronger sense of self and higher self esteem.
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works
CBT is focused on changing thinking patterns to support a more grounded and positive everyday experience. It usually involves a few key steps, including:
Identifying challenging or stressful situations in your life that you want to work on.
Gaining awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about these issues.
Exploring ways of thinking that may be negative or inaccurate, contributing to your negative experience of the situation.
Reshaping your perspective, feelings, and actions to develop supportive habits and positive viewpoints that improve your experiences in specific situations and everyday life.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually considered a short-term therapy, depending on what you are experiencing, how challenging your symptoms are, and your everyday support system. It can be effectively combined with other therapy modalities, and is proven safe and impactful in individual, couples, and family counseling.
What Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps address
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help address the causes and symptoms of many different mental health challenges.
It is effective in helping to treat:
Depression & Anxiety
Panic attacks
PTSD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Phobias
Addiction and substance dependency
Disordered eating
Chronic pain
Insomnia
The potential benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can include:
Relief from symptoms of mental illnesses
Positive coping techniques for stressful life situations
Better emotional self-regulation and processing
Improved conflict resolution and communication skills
Processing and coping with grief
Overcoming emotional trauma
Managing chronic pain or other physical symptoms
Improved self-esteem and self-worth
Do you feel like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy might be right for you?
At Advanced Counseling Bozeman, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is offered as a core modality with a diverse range of supplementary therapy styles. We are here to help you heal your thought patterns, achieve meaningful relief, and experience a new way of being.