People are often surprised to realize that “therapy” isn’t all the same. The services provided by therapists vary significantly, depending on what type of therapy they offer. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common and best studied therapy modalities. At Palms Behavioral Health in Harlingen, Texas, we offer inpatient and outpatient mental health services and like to ensure that our patients and their families understand the benefits of different types of therapy.
What is CBT?
CBT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on helping patients to identify ways in which their thinking might be inaccurate or negative, so that they can be more effective in managing their thoughts. CBT assumes that psychological problems are partially the result of learned behaviors and that if you can learn a behavior, you can also un-learn it and learn behaviors that work better for you. By learning better ways to handle specific, current, emotional situations, CBT proposes that you will have decreased symptoms and more satisfaction with your life.
This does not mean that therapists who practice CBT feel the patient is to blame for their struggles. We can’t really help what we learn from our environment. Also, therapists who practice this modality recognize that genetics and psychiatric disorders also play an important piece in the difficulties their patients experience.
How Long CBT Lasts
CBT is considered a short-term treatment. While there is no precise time frame for how long CBT treatment should last, it is generally between a few sessions and several months, while other types of therapy sometimes continue for years at a time. Individual sessions generally take around an hour and occur one time per week.
Moving Forward
CBT is present and future-focused, meaning that patients don’t spend a lot of time talking about their past. While it is helpful for the therapist to have some knowledge of the patient’s history, this is not something that will be discussed continuously. Therapists can help patients do things they are afraid to do or that they struggle to do because of beliefs that are hindering their progress.
Diagnoses CBT Can Treat
CBT can help patients with a wide variety of mental disorders. Some of these include:
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
- Substance use disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar disorder
Benefits of CBT
CBT seeks to teach people how to become their own therapists. It can be useful for many different emotional challenges:
- Managing mental illness symptoms
- Preventing mental health relapse
- Coping with stress
- Resolving interpersonal conflict
- Improving communication skills
- Handling grief, loss, and trauma
- Coping with chronic physical health conditions
Homework
Often, therapists offering CBT give their patients homework assignments to complete between sessions. This may include journaling and practicing exercises you have learned during your sessions to better manage stress, pain, or other problems. This homework helps the patient hone the skills they have been learning and allows the therapist to better collaborate with the patient to resolve the problems the patient is facing. By noting things, events, times of day, and whatever else might trigger symptoms, the patient helps the therapist determine what specific self-talk and problem-solving barriers exist.
Treatments Used with CBT
CBT is often combined with antidepressants or other medications for best results. There are some people for whom medication is not a good option. For them, it can be especially important to participate in therapy, and CBT is an option that has been heavily researched and found to be effective for many different mental health disorders.
CBT Formats
CBT is delivered by a licensed psychologist, counselor, clinical social worker, therapist, or other mental health professional. A master’s or doctoral level degree is typically required to provide CBT. Individual sessions and group sessions are offered and generally have specific goals that patients wish to accomplish.
Possible Side Effects of CBT
Most psychiatric interventions can have some sort of side effects. Dealing with difficult emotions and talking about things that are distressing can make a person feel uncomfortable and may alter how they interact with other people. It is important to discuss any changes like this with your therapist right away.
At Palms Behavioral Health, we treat adolescents, adults, and seniors with trauma and behavioral health diagnoses. Each patient has an individualized treatment plan that uses evidence-based practices to stabilize their condition and improve their well-being. This can include physician supervision, medication management, and a wide range of therapy modalities.
