Would it shock you to know more than 264 million people live with depression? Included in that number are people all over the world, from every walk of life. Maybe you or someone you love is in the process of navigating the often murky waters of depression.
Have you heard of cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT?
This post explains the different types of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Take a minute and explore one of today’s most popular treatment methods for depression and a range of other mental health conditions.
Whether you’re asking for a friend or seeking help for yourself, understanding the basics of CBT will give you an excellent foundation to determine whether it’s a therapy you should continue to pursue. In a nutshell, CBT is about relationships.
We’re not talking about relationships between people, although CBT can help people deal with relationship problems. The focus of CBT is the relationships between a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Therapists who offer CBT help clients understand how unhealthy thought patterns can cause self-destructive behaviors. They can then develop healthier ways of thinking about life situations. The result is a positive change in their beliefs about themselves and others, which leads to healthier behaviors.
CBT isn’t a stand-alone type of therapy. It’s an umbrella term for a wide range of treatment approaches and techniques. The common thread is the focus mentioned in the previous section — thoughts and feelings and how they motivate behaviors.
The therapist’s style combined with the client’s unique needs helps determine which approach will work best. Therapists have a range of CBT techniques and methods to choose from, including:
This isn’t a comprehensive list but includes a mix of CBT therapies used often by therapists today. Another treatment method is trauma focused CBT, which focuses on the needs of children, teens, and adults who have suffered the effects of trauma.
The list of those who CBT can help is long. In addition to depression, other mental health conditions respond well to CBT, including (but not limited to):
If you or a person you’re trying to help is willing to work closely with a therapist to establish treatment goals and complete homework between therapy sessions, CBT will likely work well.
Suppose you’re interested in learning how to banish negative thoughts and replace them with healthy thought patterns. In that case, you may be an excellent candidate for one of the types of cognitive-behavioral therapy mentioned above. If you’re goal-oriented, want to try something proven by science, and desire a short-term option, CBT may be the treatment approach for you!
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