Cognitive psychotherapy, more collectively known as cognitive behavioural therapy, is one of the most sought-after treatments among various psychotherapy models. Cognitive therapy focuses on helping people that show behaviours commonly associated with mental illness. As a patient-centred approach, this treatment seeks to guide individuals to identify and control their thought processes.
What Is Cognitive Psychotherapy?
In a more elaborate sense, cognitive psychotherapy concentrates on getting rid of a person’s emotional and mental difficulties. For various reasons, one can develop disturbing and destructive patterns across their mind. This behaviour contributes detrimental effects to a person’s well-being. As a result, mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression can arise.
Through cognitive behavioural therapy, a psychotherapist will support patients in managing their perspective. Additionally, employing a well-rounded treatment plan can help patients manage and control the spontaneity of negative thoughts. Moreover, it changes an individual’s objective and challenges them to overcome these thoughts. Some strategies include journaling, meditation, and mental exercises.
What Are the Types of Cognitive Psychotherapy?
Cognitive behavioural therapy encompasses a wide range of treatment approaches. Each technique addresses a person’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Using psychotherapeutic structures and self-help materials, a therapist can support the following types of cognitive therapies:
Cognitive Therapy
This approach focuses on identifying and changing a person’s habit of thinking negatively. It controls the burst of inaccurate behaviour and distorted emotional response. In cognitive therapy, the psychotherapist encourages communication and problem solving rather than dwelling on past experiences.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
The dialectical type of cognitive behavioural therapy addresses mindfulness and emotional regulation. Similarly, it teaches the patient to live in the present and improve their ways to cope with stress. Through this approach, a person can connect better with other people.
Multimodal Therapy
Perhaps one of the most effective ways to treat mental illness is through multimodal therapy. This treatment intends to optimise the treatment of mental disorders by delivering different modalities. This approach helps resolve psychological issues by combining seven various aspects. These aspects include the following:
- Affection
- Sensation
- Behaviour
- Cognition
- Imagery
- Interpersonal Factors
- Biological and Drug Considerations
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
Like cognitive therapy, rational emotive behaviour therapy involves the identification and control of thought patterns. However, REBT revolves around the specific aspect of irrational belief. By challenging these beliefs, the patient will learn how to recognise and improve their perspectives.
There are different approaches for each type of cognitive psychotherapy. While most of them are unique, all lead toward a single goal. That goal is to provide every person to have a better outlook in life.
What Happens During A Cognitive Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapists use cognitive therapy to boost a person’s quality of life. Additionally, they take the role of an active member of the healthcare team and provide goal-oriented and patient-centred treatment.
Cognitive psychotherapy helps patients unlock different techniques on how to resolve conflicting thoughts. During each session, the therapist works hand in hand with several medical specialists to establish a treatment plan. Following this objective, the psychotherapist effectively communicates with the patient towards a mutual goal.
A typical cognitive therapy starts with situational representations, which helps them differentiate between essential and non-essential thoughts. Afterwards, the session proceeds with an in-depth discussion of the specific problem and the proper ways of dealing with it. Sometimes a session ends with an assignment to be carried out in real life.
What Are the Strategies in Cognitive Psychotherapy?
Cognitive psychotherapy involves the following strategies:
- Identifying negative thoughts. An excessively negative perception of a situation can affect a person’s feelings and behaviour, contributing to maladaptive results. While it can be a challenging thing to do, identifying these negative thoughts are necessary. It helps a person process if the ideas they are having are applicable in the real world.
- Practising new skills. For a person struggling with introspection, practising a new skill might be a challenge. However, these abilities are essential, especially in real-life situations. Developing a new skill will help put your mind at ease and avoid specific attacks and relapses.
- Self-monitoring and help. Self-monitoring is an integral part of every psychotherapy. Furthermore, it helps the person keep track of their experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Sometimes, a therapist will ask you to share what you’ve written to know more about you. This technique will allow them to see your progress and provide you with the necessary homework and treatment options.
- Immersion. Cognitive psychotherapy helps a person deal with concerns that can arise from various stressors. For instance, aside from theoretical problem solving, a psychotherapist will provide assignments that would require an actual encounter. This technique helps a person deal with what happens in the real world.
- Goal-setting. Lastly, setting goals is an essential step in your recovery from mental illness. Making these goals will provide purpose and help you distinguish between short-term and long-term objectives. However, it is vital to remind yourself that the process also matters aside from the end outcome.
Who Can Undergo Cognitive Psychotherapy?
Cognitive therapy is an effective short-term treatment for a wide range of conditions. Below are some of the most common reasons to seek cognitive therapy:
- Any form of addiction
- Disoriented personality
- Anger management issues
- Phobias
- Anxiety response
- Response to stress
- Panic disorder
- Bipolar personality
- Depressive episodes
- Eating disorders
Why is Cognitive Psychotherapy Important?
Our mental health plays a fundamental role in our way of living. It is responsible for the thoughts and feelings we encounter each day. Meanwhile, this perspective affects our behaviour and often becomes in control of how we address specific situations.
The concept behind cognitive therapy is to teach people how they can interpret and deal with what’s happening around them. While it is impossible to take control of the intangible aspects of a situation, a person can take charge of how they will get a grip of the circumstances. Cognitive psychotherapy is a practical approach. However, it a gradual process that requires the right balance of effort to obtain the best results.
Final Thoughts
Cognitive psychotherapy is an effective behavioural treatment option for most psychological concerns. Therefore, if you want to improve your ability to deal with various stressors, you might benefit from this therapy. Also, by having cognitive sessions, you can learn more about how your internal state impacts your day-to-day life.
Reference:
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognitive-behavior-therapy-2795747