What is cognitive behavioral therapy and how quickly it helps

In essence, Cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CPT) is a way to change the attitude to life and yourself, based on two important steps:

1. Realize (Cognition – "Cognition"), where negative thoughts come from, experiences, habits. Evaluate how they affect your life. Find those logical errors, cognitive distortions that make you worry. Ask the question "Why I choose suffering, not joy?".
2. Change behavior so as to exclude negative experiences, focusing on positive.

Problems in private life, social anxiety, protracted stress, disorders of food behavior, psychological complexes that interfere with living, – with all this you can handle Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Psychology Today International with cognitive behavioral therapy.

It should be borne in mind that the CCT is not a magic tablet. It does not save you from an existing objective problem. For example, if you suffer from the fact that you have too big nose, it will remain the same. If you go crazy because of the divorce, the partner will not come run back apologies. If you have a serious anxious disorder or clinical depression, psychotherapy will not replace medicines.

But cognitive behavioral therapy will teach you easier to treat problems or even turn their benefit at all. So, the same large nose may be the cause of suffering or become a highlight of appearance.

How the cognitive behavioral therapy works

The main idea of ​​this type of psychotherapy is the following therapy for anxiety disorders . Your psychological state depends not from the stressful situation as such, but on how you treat it. Therapist will teach you to distinguish different types of emotions, understand how your consciousness switches between them, and focus on positive.

Here is a simple example: you were invited to a party. On this occasion, you may have such thoughts and experiences:

1. "Mustache sounds! There will be my friends there, and I can also meet new interesting people. ". Experitance: Anticipating, happy, excited.
2. "Parties – this is still not mine. Today, the new episode of the beloved series goes, it is better to stay at home, I don’t want to miss ". Experiencing: neutral.

3. "I never know what to do and what to talk about these events. I will make me toast to say again, I will put myself a fool, and I will again laugh again. ". Experience: alarming, negative.

Outcome: the same event can lead to completely different emotions. Which one to choose, only depends on you. You must make the selection process conscious. As in the store: you are offered emotions, it is equally – what will take?

To help you feel rational "emotion buyer", psychotherapist will make the following Cognitive Behavioral Therapy .

Teach to identify negative thoughts

That is, catching, what exactly do you think when you start experiencing anxiety. For example, the thesis "We will laugh at me" is negative.

Will help assess and challenge the negative

Rate it – this means to ask questions: "But if it is bad, that it scares me, will happen? And if it happens if it really will have catastrophic consequences? Maybe everything is not so scary?"

Teach the replacement of negative thoughts realistic

After you reveal disturbing thoughts and analyze, they will need to be replaced by more rational and realistic allegations. For example: "Yes, who will make me talk toast? I do not drink at all and do not plan to raise glasses ".

How quickly can the cognitive behavioral therapy

To figure out why one or another situation makes you nervous, you will surely need time. And it will be needed to teach your brain to choose from the "assortment" of emotions correct – calm and joyful.

To realize and change behavior, on average you need from 5 to 20 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy sessions of psychotherapy.

However, the duration of working with a psychotherapist is an individual question. If your psychological problems are small, it can have enough two-three meetings with a doctor. And someone will have to visit a specialist for years. It is impossible to predict in advance. But, as experts are noticed by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, on average, cognitive behavioral therapy leads to noticeable results faster than other types of impact.

CCT has another bonus: meetings with a psychotherapist can be held online, and they will be no less effective than full-time.