INTRODUCTION
Cognitive behavioral techniques are founded on the idea that learning processes play an
important role in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. It helps people
develop new thinking patterns and behaviors, which improves their overall well-being.
CBT emerged in the 1960’s, in an era when psychological therapies were much less established
than they are today. It was Aaron T. Beck who developed the kind of CBT that is currently most
widely used. Without mentioning Albert Ellis, who concurrently developed a type of cognitive
therapy with Beck, no history of CBT would be complete. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
(REBT), which was developed by Ellis, is quite similar to CBT.
In the 1960s, psychiatrist Aaron Beck was employed by the University of Pennsylvania. Despite
having received training in psychoanalysis, he lost faith in the free association method and
started experimenting with more direct methods. When he worked with depressive individuals,
he discovered that they had "automatic thoughts," or constant negative thinking. He discovered
he could effectively work with his clients' ideas and interpretations of the world around them—
the meanings they made for themselves. Albert Ellis was also working on a type of cognitive
therapy based on the Stoic premise that what bothers us is not the events themselves, but the
meaning we assign to them. Ellis' concepts evolved into Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
(REBT).
DEFINITION
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that helps you recognize negative or
unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. CBT aims to help you identify and explore the ways
your emotions and thoughts can affect your actions. CBT addresses the here and now, and
focuses less on the past.
Cognitive behavioral therapy combines cognitive therapy with behavior therapy by identifying
maladaptive patterns of thinking, emotional responses, or behaviors and replacing them with
more desirable patterns.
CORE CONCEPTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
According to the American psychological association(APA), the core concepts of CBT includes:
1.Psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking.
2. Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior.
3. Individuals with these issues can enhance their well-being by developing effective coping
mechanisms and managing their symptoms effectively.
COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS
Many of the most popular and effective cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques are applied to
what psychologists call “cognitive distortions,” inaccurate thoughts that reinforce negative
thought patterns or emotions (Grohol, 2016).
1. Filtering
The act of ignoring everything pleasant and beneficial in life in order to concentrate only on the
unpleasant is referred to as filtering. It's the trap of focusing just on one unfavorable feature of a
circumstance, even when there are many positive aspects present.
2. Polarized thinking or Black and white thinking
This cognitive distortion is all-or-nothing thinking, with no room for complexity or nuance—
everything’s either black or white, never shades of gray. If you don’t perform perfectly in some
area, then you may see yourself as a total failure instead of simply recognizing that you may be
unskilled in one area.
3. Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization is taking a single incident or point in time and using it as the sole piece of
evidence for a broad conclusion.
4. Jumping to conclusions
Unlike overgeneralizing one incident, jumping to conclusions refers to the tendency to be sure of
something without any evidence at all. For example, we might be convinced that someone
dislikes us without having any real evidence, or we might believe that our fears will come true
before we have a chance to really find out.
5. Catastrophizing / Magnifying or Minimizing
This distortion entails expecting the worst to happen or has already happened, based on an
incident that is nothing near as devastating as it is portrayed to be. For example, you may make a
minor mistake at work and believe that it will jeopardize the project, enrage your employer, and
result in your dismissal. Alternatively, one may downplay the significance of positive events,
such as a professional accomplishment or a desirable personal trait.
6. Personalization
This is a misperception in which a person feels that everything they do has an effect on external
events or other people, regardless of how unreasonable that belief is. A person with this
misconception will believe that he or she has an exaggerated role in the negative events that
occur around them.
7. Control fallacies
This distortion involves feeling like everything that happens to you is either a result of purely
external forces or entirely due to your own actions.
8. Fallacy of fairness
We are often concerned about fairness, but this concern can be taken to extremes. As we all
know, life is not always fair. The person who goes through life looking for fairness in all their
experiences will end up resentful and unhappy.
9. Blaming
One method of assigning responsibility is blaming others for what goes wrong.
Sometimes we may blame others for making us feel or act a certain way, but this is a cognitive
distortion. Only you are responsible for the way you feel or act.
10. "Shoulds"
"Shoulds" refer to our implicit or explicit guidelines for how we and others should behave. We
get offended when people break our rules.
TECHNIQUES USED IN COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
1. Cognitive restructuring and reframing
This entails examining negative thought patterns closely. Maybe you're one of those people who
tends to overgeneralize, assume the worst, or give too much weight to little things.
Your therapist will ask about your thought process in certain situations so you can identify
negative patterns. Once you’re aware of them, you can learn how to reframe those thoughts so
they’re more positive and productive.
For example: “I blew the report because I’m totally useless” can become “That report wasn’t my
best work, but I’m a valuable employee and I contribute in many ways.”
2. Guided discovery
During guided discovery, the therapist will learn about your point of view. Then they'll offer
questions geared to challenge and broaden your perspective. You may be requested to provide
evidence that both supports and contradicts your assumptions.
In the process, you’ll learn to see things from other perspectives, especially ones that you may
not have considered before. This can help you choose a more helpful path.
3. Exposure therapy
Fears and phobias can be faced via exposure treatment. Your therapist will gradually introduce
you to the things that make you feel afraid or anxious while offering you advice on how to
handle them at the time. Small steps can be taken in this direction. Exposure eventually has the
power to reduce feelings of vulnerability and increase self-assurance in your coping skills.
4. Journaling and thought records
Your therapist may ask you to write down unpleasant thoughts that occurred between sessions,
as well as positive thoughts that you might choose from. Another writing assignment is to keep
note of the new thoughts and actions you've implemented since the prior session. Putting things
in writing allows you to recognize how far you've come.
5. Activity scheduling and behaviour activation
Putting an activity on your calendar can assist if it's something you frequently avoid or put off
because of fear or worry. After the decision-making load is removed, you could be more inclined
to carry it out. Organizing your activities can help you form positive habits and provide you
plenty of chances to implement what you've learned.
6. Behavioural experiment
Behavioral experiments are typically used for anxiety disorders that involve catastrophic
thinking.Before embarking on a task that normally makes you anxious, you’ll be asked to predict
what will happen. Later, you’ll talk about whether the prediction came true.
Over time, you may start to see that the predicted catastrophe is actually not very likely to
happen. You’ll likely start with lower-anxiety tasks and build up from there.
7. Relaxation and stress reduction techniques
In CBT, you may be taught some progressive relaxation techniques, such as: deep breathing
exercises, muscle relaxation, imagery. You’ll learn practical skills to help lower stress and
increase your sense of control. This can be helpful in dealing with phobias, social anxieties, and
other stressors.
8. Role playing
Role playing can help you work through different behaviors in potentially difficult situations.
Playing out possible scenarios can lessen fear and can be used for: improving problem solving
skills, gaining familiarity and confidence in certain situations, practicing social skills,
assertiveness training, improving communication skills.
9. Successive approximation
This entails taking large projects and dividing them into smaller, more manageable pieces. Step
by step, you build confidence as you proceed by building upon the prior steps.
10. Unraveling cognitive distortions
This is a primary goal of CBT and can be practiced with or without the help of a therapist. In
order to unravel cognitive distortions, you must first become aware of the distortions from which
you commonly suffer (Hamamci, 2002).
TYPES OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
1. Cognitive therapy
It focuses on identifying and changing the unhelpful or distorted thinking patterns commonly
experienced by individuals suffering from depression. Cognitive Therapy utilizes collaborative
elements like agenda-setting and homework assignments between sessions, emphasizing the
correction of cognitive distortions or thinking errors as well as maladaptive behaviors.
2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
It highlights validating or accepting uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and behaviors instead of
fighting them. By accepting and coming to terms with discomfort, DBT encourages change
through a mindful and present stance.
3. Motivational Interviewing (MI)
MI understands that people begin treatment with varied degrees of commitment and want to
improve. Motivational Interviewing promotes the internal drive required for behavior change
while also resolving any current ambivalence around change.
4. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
The core concept of ACT is that events, people, and their surroundings all have an impact on
people's thoughts and emotions. ACT focuses on improving tolerance for emotional suffering,
particularly when avoiding pain keeps one from living a satisfying and meaningful life.
5. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Identifies illogical beliefs, actively challenges them, and recognizes and changes maladaptive
mental habits. Albert Ellis developed REBT based on the premise that each person has a unique
set of basic assumptions about themselves and the world that influence their actions and
reactions, as well as their perspective on situations.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH
(A CASE STUDY OF DEPRESSION)
Depression is a serious mental health condition that can cause intense sadness, feelings of
hopelessness, and changes in mood and behavior. It can also lead to thoughts of suicide and self-
harm.
CBT helps a person identify how their understanding of life situations is contributing to their
experience of depression.
When a person starts CBT, their therapist may ask them to keep a journal. In this journal, they
can record daily events, their thoughts and interpretations of the events, and their resulting
emotions or mood. During a therapy session, the therapist helps the individual evaluate these
reactions and thought patterns. The therapist also teaches the person how to identify cognitive
distortions — errors in thinking or logic that cause them to come to conclusions that are not
necessarily true.
During CBT, the therapist helps the individual challenge these distorted thoughts, develop more
realistic perspectives, and learn new ways of thinking. They may also help the person identify
and change behaviors that are contributing to their depression.
CONCLUSION
CBT is a type of therapy that helps individuals develop more effective ways of thinking and
behaving. Mental health professionals can use it to treat depression by helping people challenge
distorted thoughts and change negative behaviors.
REFERENCES
Cognitive behavioral therapy. (2019).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/
Cully JA, et al. (2008). A therapist’s guide to brief cognitive behavioral therapy.
https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/therapists_guide_to_brief_cbtmanual.pdf
Fenn K, et al. (2013). The key principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1755738012471029
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019). Cognitive behavioral therapy.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610
Hamamci, Z. (2002). The effect of integrating psychodrama and cognitive behavioral therapy on
reducing cognitive distortions in interpersonal relationships. Journal of Group Psychotherapy,
Psychodrama & Sociometry, 55(1), 3–14.
Grohol, J. (2016). 15 Common cognitive distortions. Retrieved from
https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-cognitive-distortions/
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747#types-of-
cognitive-behavioral-therapy
