Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is short-term, structured psychotherapy.

CBT is based on the idea that people are not disturbed by life events as such, but by the way they perceive and interpret these events. The same situation can trigger different feelings in different people and lead to different actions (behaviours, reactions). For example, when losing a job, one person might think: "I am such a failure. I never succeed!" and feel depressed, avoid looking for and taking on new responsibilities. Another might think: "It's unfair and discriminatory that I've lost this job!" and feel angry, in conflict with the employer. Another person might think: "It's not good that I lost this job. But it's a great opportunity for me to try and learn something new!" and feel anxious and expectant, and look for work opportunities elsewhere.

How a person thinks largely determines how they feel and act in different life situations.

The way we think is shaped by our childhood experiences, our innate temperament, life events and shocks, the environment which we live in, and our culture. Our thoughts are also influenced by our values in life and our current life situation. Our beliefs about ourselves, others and the world "feed" our thoughts. Do we feel loved, do we see others as valuable and do we feel safe in our environment? Or do we feel worthless, see others as abusers and perceive the world as dangerous? How we feel about ourselves, others and our environment will depend on the answer to these questions.

CBT helps you to see the connection between thoughts, emotions, body sensations and behaviour. By working with a therapist, a person learns to become more aware of and recognise his or her thoughts, to understand their origin, to verify their truth and their relevance to a given situation. CBT changes or makes "thinking errors" more rational. This, in turn, helps to cope better with stressful situations and to control one's emotions better.

When starting CBT, usually the goal of the treatment is established and a treatment plan is developed. The goal of the therapy is usually a specific problem or symptom that the patient would like to get rid of or learn to control.

The CBT process involves homework, which helps the person to "continue" the therapy process outside the psychotherapist's office, helps them to better understand their feelings, thoughts and behaviour in everyday life, encourages them to try out new behaviour patterns and practice the skills they have learned (relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, planning enjoyable activities, communication, etc.).

CBT is suitable for anxiety, depression, phobias, panic attacks, eating disorders, stress, burnout syndrome and other psychiatric disorders