In psychology, there are different types of therapy which therapists base themselves on. Everyone knows the type where you lie down in a sofa and have a therapist sitting behind you. Therapy and its different types are complex things, for which education is nearly needed even before you can tell them apart. But how do you know what type is best for you? What does most for you in your specific situation? In this article, we will shortly try to explain what cognitive behavioral therapy entails!
Cognitive behavioral therapy: development
Cognitive behavioral therapy developed in the sixties or seventies as a response to psychoanalysis. It is one of the largest types of therapy which is currently used in psychology and psychotherapy. In the sixties and seventies, cognitive behavioral therapy found it difficult to establish itself, though, because it relies on freedom of choice, while the control mainly still lied with the church at the time. Furthermore, it was mainly used by psychologists, while psychiatrists were the ones with the largest influence. Cognitive behavioral therapy was also the first type of therapy which emphasized the importance of scientific research. It namely finds that cooperation must be had between practice and research. The newest generation of the cognitive behavioral therapy (3rd generation) emphasizes the body more and says that not everything can be molded. They thus say that not everything can be changed. That is how 2 therapy goals came about: the first is to deal with the situation/problem, and the second is the acceptance/different way of dealing with the problem/situation. They say that some things are not possibly changed, but that the way in which one views the situation can rid one of complaints/symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: main points
An important starting point of cognitive behavioral therapy is that the human functioning is decided upon by thoughts. Humans are namely like a computer, which orders and processes information in a certain way. This type of information processing affects your life and your behavior and emotions. Albert Ellis said that psychologist difficulties have to do with irrational beliefs.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: techniques
Originally, the therapy was developed separately from the techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy tries to break through the dysfunctional pattern of automatic thoughts, and aims for cognitive restructuring. Therapists want to reach this result by talking about these patterns with the clients at the hand of critical reflection.
Cognitive behavioral therapy an 15 Minutes 4 Me
The online self-help program 15 Minutes 4 Me was founded at the hand of techniques from solution focused therapy and the cognitive behavioral therapy. This program is mainly developed against stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. On a daily basis you can log into 15 Minutes 4 Me and there you will receive videos and questions which help you to gain new insights. You get a push forward, to re-discover what it is that makes you happy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: free self-test
Except for the program, 15 Minutes 4 Me also offers a free self-test, which shows you your level of stress, depression, and anxiety. After filling out the test, you are sent to a page with your personal scores.
