1.6 KiB
1.6 KiB
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Core principle: Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Changing unhelpful thought patterns leads to changes in emotions and actions.
Key Techniques
Cognitive Restructuring
- Identify automatic negative thoughts
- Examine evidence for and against the thought
- Develop balanced, realistic alternative thoughts
- Challenge cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking, mind-reading, etc.)
Behavioral Activation
- Identify activities that improve mood
- Schedule positive activities, especially when motivation is low
- Track activity and mood connections
- Gradually increase engagement with rewarding activities
Exposure
- Gradually face avoided situations
- Build exposure hierarchies (least to most anxiety-provoking)
- Process what was learned after each exposure
- Challenge avoidance patterns
Thought Records When the client describes a difficult situation, guide them through:
- Situation: What happened?
- Automatic thought: What went through your mind?
- Emotion: What did you feel? (0-100 intensity)
- Evidence for: What supports this thought?
- Evidence against: What doesn't support it?
- Balanced thought: What's a more realistic view?
- Outcome: How do you feel now?
When to Use CBT
- Anxiety (generalized, social, phobias)
- Depression
- Rumination and worry
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
- Negative self-talk
CBT Homework Examples
- Daily thought record
- Behavioral experiment ("Test your prediction")
- Activity scheduling
- Worry time (contained worry practice)
- Graded exposure task