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HEALTH & WELLNESS Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

by: Dr. Charla Waxman, BS, MBA, EdD

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Really Help CBT is a fairly short term treatment that is a type of talk therapy proven to make an impact on a variety of mental health conditions. The tools taught in CBT create increased awareness and techniques for the user to better understand how thoughts can cause behaviors and how changing one’s thinking can change behaviors and solve problems.

Here’s an overview of CBT: As stated above, CBT identifies that the way that we think will determine both how we feel and how we act. Thinking is a BIG influencer. Remember that and you just about have this whole CBT thing licked. Well, maybe it is not quite that simple, but you definitely are moving forward if you focus on your thinking and thought patterns.

Now, you are probably are already realizing that thinking about things in a negative way might lead to emotions that will not drive you toward successful behaviors and interactions with others. People who manage themselves highlighting the foundation of CBT will learn how to automatically look for the reframe; finding the positive way to think about stuff: people, their intentions, your job or just things that have happened to you. Once you have conquered the “reframe”, you will have a skill for life that will change many things. It will change your outlook, your stress level and you may even find that people are drawn to you and your positivity.

The way you approach CBT will depend on what you want to accomplish. Know that, even armed with the incredible information here in this article (nice reframe), you can probably use a therapist (ask if they know CBT techniques) to help get you started and moving in the right CBT direction. When you meet with your therapist share any specific problems that seem to make you feel stuck or particularly unhappy and negative when you try problem solving around them. Think about any role models who may have provided some negative thinking patterns and share that with your therapist, too. Find the thinking that has been unproductive for you and created unhelpful patterns in your thinking, emotions and behaviors.

Babysteps!! Have your therapist practice reframing simple concepts. Remember all new behaviors need practice to become second nature. Don’t get frustrated. Success takes time. Break those big problems into small problems and solve them that way. Again, journaling may help you see just what you can do when you are not focusing on the worst that can happen. Be patient. Change takes time.

Your therapist is probably going to help you refine your approach to change. You will be exploring your patterns of thinking. For instance, are you a catastrophizer? Are you always assuming that whatever happens, it will be the worst-possible-outcome?

Get it? These kinds of assumptions cannot create a positive outcome. They just can’t.

Your therapist may ask you to walk through some scenarios to help you develop your CBT skills. You may also want to follow the best case scenario path even if it is uncomfortable and seems unrealistic for you. Take a situation. Look at what can happen, and predict a positive ending. You may have to journal this so you don’t fall into negative thinking and so you can see in writing where you may be struggling.

Spend time talking to your therapist about people, places, and situations that invoke anxiety and fear. This may be scary, but getting some support in finding your “coping sweet spot” can only make things better for you in the future.

Be honest with your progress. Keep procrastination away by letting your supportive friends and family know what you are trying to do. Give them permission to help you reframe negative thoughts and overgeneralizations.

After practicing for a time (and every person is different), you may be ready to set some goals. This writer really likes the IDEAL method for problem solving and the SMART method. Both are easy to remember and are perfect for journaling.

Identify what you want to change. This is your chance to brainstorm! No idea is wrong or too weird.

Decide who can help, identify supportive people early on. No one has to solve problems alone.

Evaluate/eliminate ideas that are not the best match for you.

Act on it! Ready, set, go! Give it your best shot.

Learn from what happened. Spend time examining the outcome, but don’t beat yourself up. Move on.

SMART goals are: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-limited

CBT has documented success and putting your efforts into CBT can help with emotions you may have tried to avoid, that seemed overwhelming, or the skills you needed to cope were not within your grasp. It can also help you manage many levels of trauma and grief and many levels of communication. Anything that requires coping tools and techniques can be helped with CBT. Whether it is a mental health condition or a physical ailment, utilize CBT. It is like easy- access thinking skills at your fingertips. It might be just what you were looking for, so give it a try.

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