Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) refers to a specific form of therapy that aims to change how we think and behave, in order to change how we feel. If you think about our thoughts, feelings and behaviors being linked inextricably, CBT works on the basis of this to improve psychological well-being. Take stepping in a puddle as an example of this. If three people left their homes to go to work on the same wet, rainy morning wearing their favorite shoes and stepped in a deep puddle beside their car, each person could have a very different response.

For example, the first person might respond with a thought such as ‘For goodness sake, I asked the building management to fix that pothole last month. Now there’s a puddle here…’ and the resulting emotion would be anger. Another person might think, ‘Oh no, I’m going to have to go back inside to change my socks and shoes. I’m already running behind schedule. This will take time and I’ll be late for work’, and the resulting emotion would be anxiety. A third person, although unlikely, could respond with a thought such as, ‘At least I’m getting my shoes washed for free’, resulting in a happy, cheerful emotion. Obviously this is a very basic example, but the principle is the same within CBT – our thoughts about situations are more important than the events themselves, because ultimately what we think about events affects how we feel and behave. This has a huge impact on psychological well-being, particularly when we think about the various challenges across the average lifetime, as well as the numerous potential thoughts about each situation and challenge.

This is the basis of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. From this, a time-limited, goal-oriented approach has been devised to treat a range of different mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), to name a few. CBT includes very specific techniques tailored to consider and adjust patterns of thoughts, behavior and emotion that are influencing our overall well-being. Depending on the disorder or problem being treated, very specific approaches may be used. Clients typically attend each week for one hour for around 10 – 16 weeks, and complete tasks inside and outside the therapy session (where a lot of the change actually happens). CBT is one of the most widely researched approaches to psychological well-being, with good evidence that it helps a range of mental health conditions. If you would like further information, or if you think you or someone you know could benefit from CBT, please enquire using the contact details for CEIMC above.

Dr. Paul Gelston

Clinical Psychologist and CBT Therapist

Child Early Intervention Medical Center

We are here to help you.