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Find out all the
information you need to know about psychological
services and Medicare.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)


Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most widely used therapeutic methods to treat various forms of psychological and emotional difficulties. CBT is also perhaps the most researched treatment approach; rigorously tested and evaluated over the past decades.


What is CBT?

As the name suggests, CBT involves working with cognitions (thoughts) and behaviour patterns. The essence of CBT is the notion that people's thinking influences their emotional state and behaviour. For example, thinking about an event in a certain way will have an impact on how one feels about it and behaves as the result.

The example below will show how cognitions, feelings and behaviour interact:

Let's say that the event is being made redundant from a job. There are various ways one might think about redundancy:

1) "It is tragic, I can't believe it happened, I will never get another job".
2) "That was quite unexpected, I need to come up with an alternative".
3) "Good, I needed a change, anyway".

Based on the different ways of thinking about this event, people will have different emotional reactions:

1) Sad, defeated, depressed.
2) Surprised, ready for a challenge, engaging. 
3) Happy, optimistic, energised.

Based on the initial thoughts about this event and the associated emotional reactions, people will behave differently:

1) Withdrawn and avoiding social contact.
2) Cautious and ready to network and look at alternatives.
3) Outgoing, sociable and carefree.

In the above example, the event is the same, what differentiates the emotional reactions and following behaviour is the initial thought process. CBT aims to work on both, the way people think and the way they behave.


   What Does CBT Involve?

   CBT works on two levels. First, it aims to challenge and change thinking style, and two, it aims to change maladaptive
   behaviour patterns. A CBT therapist uses techniques that teaches clients how to recognise unhelpful and unrealistic
   thinking styles, how to challenge such negative thoughts and how to generate alternative thoughts. A CBT therapist also
   evaluates behaviours that may be responsible in maintaining certain cognitions, such as substance use, social withdrawal
   or repetitive behaviour patterns.

   Therapy involves working simultaneously on thinking and doing things differently than before. It is a collaborative process
   between the therapist and the client and the goals reflect mutual decisions. The therapist is there to oversee the client's
   progress and to "fine tune" both the implemented cognitive and behavioural techniques. This can be achieved with
   relatively few sessions and clients receiving CBT often report an improvement after 4 to 6 sessions. A typical CBT program
   involves 12 sessions.   
 

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