CBT: Cognitive Behavioral therapy• Definition: CBT is

a psychotherapeutic approach that uses a combination of behavioural & cognitive therapies that addresses dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviours and cognitive processes through goal-directed & systematic procedures.

• CBT uses practical self-help strategies and it is based on the assumption that the way people behave is based on the way they think

CBT: How is it used?• CBT aims to teach people that it is possible to

have control over their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

• Thus it helps the person to challenge and overcome automatic beliefs, and use practical strategies to change or modify their behaviour.

• The result is more positive feelings, which in turn lead to more positive thoughts and behaviours.

• Thus CBT is a learning process• CBT is thought to be effective for the

treatment of a variety of conditions including:• Phobias, • Addictions (e.g Pathological gambling)• Schizophrenia • Depression

Cognitive vs Behavioural therapy

Cognitive therapy

Focuses on identifying & changing the

distorted thinking

(cognition) that maintains the

condition

Behavioral therapyProvides

strategies/ skills to modify behaviour e.g. desensitisation

• Cognitive therapy aims to change the way the person thinks about the triggers of their disorder.

• Because it is the negative cognitions that cause self-destructive feelings and maladaptive behaviour.

• Thus the Cognitive therapy challenges those thoughts.

• It is basically a talking therapy• One approach is cognitive restructuring – which

involves asking the person to come up with evidence to ‘prove’ their maladaptive thoughts.

• Thus the patient learns to firstly identify and challenge negative thoughts,

• then replace them with more realistic and positive thoughts.

Cognitive Therapy

.

Behavioural therapy teaches the patient the necessary skills to modify their behaviour in a way that makes it adaptive rather than maladaptiveSo the negative cognitions and emotions decrease as the patients learns that they can function in social situations.

Behavioural Therapy

.

1. Identifying your negative thoughts. With anxiety disorders, situations are perceived as more dangerous than they really are. E.g. shaking another person’s hand can seem life threatening. Identifying your own irrational, scary thoughts can be very difficult. One strategy is to ask yourself what you were thinking when you started feeling anxious. Your therapist will help you with this step.

2. Challenging your negative thoughts. In the second step, your therapist will teach you how to evaluate your anxiety-provoking thoughts. This involves questioning the evidence for your frightening thoughts, analyzing unhelpful beliefs, and testing out the reality of negative predictions. Strategies for challenging negative thoughts include conducting experiments, weighing the pros and cons of worrying or avoiding the thing you fear, and determining the realistic chances that what you’re anxious about will actually happen when you shake someone’s hands..

3. Replacing negative thoughts with realistic thoughts. Once you’ve identified the irrational predictions and negative distortions in your anxious thoughts, you can replace them with new thoughts that are more accurate and positive. Your therapist may also help you come up with realistic, calming statements you can say to yourself when you’re facing or anticipating a situation that normally sends your anxiety levels soaring - ‘I won’t become ill when I shake someone’s hand’.

Example of CBT – for a germ phobia