New Delhi: Have you ever had one of those days when you felt trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts that you can’t seem to shake off? It starts affecting
how you think about your day, your week and even yourself. While there are various ways to navigate these emotions, CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a widely used, extensively researched, science-backed therapeutic approach. It operates on the fundamental principle that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are inextricably linked.
Sweta Bothra, Amaha’s Director of Psychology Services, in an interview with TV9 English, spoke about cognitive behavioural therapy, how it works and who would need it.
Our thinking patterns, or cognitions, are how our minds process information. They’re not bad on their own. However, unhelpful or negative thinking can lead to negative emotions and unhelpful behaviours, and those behaviours can then reinforce the negative thoughts even further. CBT helps identify and challenge these thoughts, replacing them with more realistic and helpful ones, thereby bringing about a change in actions and behaviours. CBT is an active, collaborative process between the therapist and the client.
CBT’s effectiveness stems from its dual focus on “cognitive” (thoughts) and “behavioural” (actions) components. The cognitive function helps individuals identify and restructure their ” Negative Automatic Thoughts” (NATs) or cognitive distortions, such as:
All-or-Nothing Thinking, that is, seeing things in extremes (“If I’m not perfect, I’m a total failure”).
Catastrophising, such as imagining the worst possible outcome (“If I mess up this presentation, my career is over”).
Overgeneralisation, that is, drawing broad negative conclusions from single events. (For example, if you fail one test, you think, “I’m terrible at everything, I’ll never succeed in any subject.”
Through questioning techniques like Socratic Questioning, Downward Arrowing, and Thought Records, you learn to introspect, reflect, and challenge these thoughts, replacing them with balanced and constructive perspectives.
The second part, or the “behavioural” part, focuses on action for change through techniques like:
- Behavioural Activation: This is helpful for depression. It involves engaging in activities that bring pleasure or accomplishment, even when motivation is low.
- Exposure Therapy: A gold standard for anxiety disorders (phobias, PTSD, OCD, panic disorder). This involves gradually confronting feared objects or situations. By safely facing fears, you learn they’re often manageable, thereby reducing avoidance.
- Skills Training: You will learn practical skills, including relaxation techniques, effective communication, and problem-solving strategies, to help you manage anxiety, communicate more effectively, and approach problems more strategically.
To be effective, CBT also involves homework. These are practices designed to apply what you’ve learnt in the sessions to your daily life.
CBT is so much more than just “talk therapy.” CBT benefits almost everyone, as it offers support for a wide range of mental health challenges. It is highly effective for anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD, OCD, phobias, and more. Along with that, it also helps manage stress, anger, improve self-esteem, and increase confidence. It helps you build resilience and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
