Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Known in short as CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is often referred to as the "gold standard" of therapy. Why is that?
CBT targets distressing thoughts and feelings at the core. A therapist that utilizes CBT as their primary method of therapy will ask you to identify your negative, or 'maladaptive' thoughts, that are not helpful in your day-to-day life. You will then explore all the areas where this may show up in your life. CBT therapy will help you identify areas to change, give you the tools to help, and assist in reaching identified goals- hence, the gold standard!
CBT focuses on 3 main areas in therapy:
- Identifying challenging or maladaptive thoughts\
- Discussing ways these thoughts create distress within our lives
- Creating realistic solutions to addressing and reforming these thoughts to best fit your specific goals
CBT, while a very common and well-researched form of therapy, may or may not be a good fit for you. To better understand if this approach works for you, think about the following: do you struggle in identifying the "kind" of thoughts you are having? Does this tend to cause you to "act out" or make decisions that create more conflict for you?
For example, does a thought enter your head and you tend to operate as if it is truth rather than "just" a thought? This form of therapy can help you begin to take healthy control of your thoughts and feelings so you can create a plan of action that aligns with your values rather than only your feelings.
