Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It's most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.
The 3 Basic Principles of CBT
Core Beliefs
Our core beliefs are informed by our childhood experiences. They are deeply rooted in how we view ourselves, our environment, and the future, along with our beliefs about these factors.
Dysfunctional Assumptions
Humans tend to hold onto the negative more easily than the positive. However, these cognitive distortions are irrational thought patterns that distort our perceptions of reality.
Automatic Negative Thoughts
Automatic negative thoughts are involuntary negative perceptions of reality that occur out of habit. They can be difficult to recognize since they are brief and cause negative emotions.
It’s also important to understand that we all have distorted thoughts at times. These are known as cognitive distortions. Examples of cognitive distortions include:
all-or-nothing thinking, such as thinking that you’re a failure for making one mistake
“should” statements, or believing that you should never make mistakes
overgeneralization, which is the belief that you’ll always get it wrong or that things will never get better
It’s important to understand that we do not have to believe our thoughts. We have a choice in how we respond to our thoughts, and, with practice, we can learn to challenge these thoughts and respond in kinder, more realistic, and more helpful ways.