Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is one of the most common, well-known, and utilized forms of psychotherapy out there. CBT is a type of traditional talk therapy that focuses on changing a person’s negative thought patterns and behaviors to improve their overall mental health and wellness.
The main goals of CBT are to identify, challenge, and change any unwanted or intrusive thoughts, develop healthy problem-solving and coping skills, and improve one’s emotional regulation and management of emotions.
The approach that cognitive behavioral therapy has is extremely effective in treating a variety of mental health disorders like anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia.
Let’s learn more about how CBT can help someone dealing with depression.
Identify Negative Beliefs
Individuals who struggle with depression tend to fixate on the negative things happening in their lives. This can prevent them from seeing all of the positive things and how much value they add to their life and the world around them. These feelings can cause someone to experience negative thoughts which can also influence their behaviors and emotions. CBT helps a person identify these negative thoughts that are happening so they can work to challenge and change them.
Challenge Negative Beliefs
After a person can identify the negative thoughts they’re experiencing, they’ll be more willing and able to work to challenge and change them. With the help of CBT, a therapist will work with you to begin to question these negative thoughts so you can better understand their validity. By questioning them, you’ll start to see the patterns of a lack of evidence so that you can work to change these thoughts with more positive and realistic ones.
Reframing and Restructuring
Cognitive reframing and restructuring occur when a person can replace the negative thoughts they’ve been experiencing with more positive ones. This switch in perspective can help a person feel better equipped to handle future interactions and situations while also having an increased overall mood and outlook on their life moving forward.
Problem-Solving Techniques
Throughout your cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, your therapist will work with you to set you up for success with problem-solving techniques and coping mechanisms that you can use in and out of your sessions. These techniques will be given to help you when you’re in between sessions, but they’re also great homework assignments that you can implement on your own and provide feedback for during your next session. These problem-solving and coping techniques can help a person feel better prepared and ready to handle stressful or challenging situations moving forward.
Behavioral Strategies
One of the key components of CBT is behavioral activation. This encourages individuals to step outside of their comfort zone and become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Depression can cause an individual to isolate or withdraw, even from loved ones and activities they previously enjoyed. The act of scheduling certain activities in advance by putting them on a calendar or making plans with a loved one can help to encourage someone to start the process of engaging and participating in these fun and pleasurable activities and situations again.
Next Steps
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based form of treatment, especially for individuals who are struggling with depression. When it comes to something like depression, the signs and symptoms won’t just go away on their own. In fact, they can actually get worse over time, especially if left untreated. One of the best options for dealing with depression is to seek the support that you need and deserve from a licensed and trained mental health professional. When you’re ready, we’re here to help you get started on the path of healing. Reach out today to get started.