When you or your loved one is suffering from any mental health issues, starting with treatment, right is extremely important. Your cognitive behavioural therapy is quite an essential part of psychotherapy. Generally, professionals use it to treat or manage mental health conditions and also ensure better control of emotional issues. It is one of the most common and studied forms of psychotherapy.
How does cognitive behavioural therapy work?
Just so you know, cognitive behavioural therapy is actually an evidence-based treatment that works in both theory and skill-based dialogue. It provides a non-judgemental and supportive environment, which allows the patient to communicate clearly with a mental health professional. Here, the objective is to help the patient having a mental health issue get relief and get back in control of his life.
Generally,cognitive behaviour therapy takes place over a limited number of sessions. It can be 5 to 20. However, keep in mind that you should never expect results immediately. It generally takes time and sometimes also involves uncomfortable work as well. When you both keep on working towards the goal you have set, you will see great progress over time. Now, let’s understand how cognitive behaviour therapy actually works. Here, your therapist will.
- Gain an idea of the issue. At the start of the therapy, he will discuss the challenges and the symptoms you are dealing with. If you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, then you need to specify that to your therapist.
- Now, the therapist will ask you a series of questions based on your specific case. They will come up with customised questions here. You might have to discuss incidents of your past traumas, fears or even troubling behaviours. Both of you will now work together to explore your answers. So, you will be gaining better insights into how you should respond to challenges in your life.
- Your therapist will now help you recognise problematic behaviours and thoughts. When you have interactive question-and-answer sessions with a therapist, he will encourage you to pay close attention to how you respond to different situations. Now, when you both work together to identify unhealthy emotions, behaviours or beliefs that might be causing trouble, things can be treated. The therapist will also ask you to maintain a journal of the situations and note down your responses to them as well.
- Finally, they will work with you to adjust your behaviours and thoughts. They will come up with customised solutions and treatment options that will be helpful for you. You can change your perspective and adopt a more positive thought pattern and behaviour here.
Benefits of cognitive behaviour therapy
Now, we will be discussing how cognitive behaviour therapy can actually be beneficial for you or what the benefits of the same are.
- Gives hope about the condition
When you have a certain mental health condition, then you will not have any goals in your life. Here, this would mean it will be hard for you to think of a future where your illness will no longer be impacting you. Keep in mind that CBT can change a person’s entire personality. It does this by helping people know their thoughts and understand they are not always accurate. It represents what is likely to happen in reality. Now, when you learn about the thoughts and challenges, you will open your mind to possibilities. This can help you see a positive outlook in life and recover better.
- Helps develop self esteem
Generally, mental health conditions are associated with low self-esteem. When you have a cycle of negative thoughts, it will influence your behaviour and vice versa. But here, CBT can disrupt this pattern. It can help you develop more confidence in your own ability. When you start to understand your thought process and how they control you, your entire belief system will change. This will include the way you see yourself as well.
- Helps relax
Once you start with CBT, you will identify a lot of aspects of it. Here, the behavioural aspect helps you learn to control how you can respond to your symptoms. There will be a lot of times when you might have to develop a calmer response for those situations. You will be learning some relaxation techniques. This will help you regulate your response to triggers and reduce any symptoms.
- Helps develop a more rational thought process
A major advantage of cognitive therapy is that it helps gain control of the thoughts. No doubt, cognitive distortions are quite common and can happen automatically without any question. But over time, the process of questioning and replacing negative thoughts can transform your entire thought process. You no longer will allow negative thoughts to take control of you. You will start thinking rationally and evaluate the appropriate response to different situations.
Conclusion
If you are ready to get started with the treatment then you can rely on Gold Coast Psychology Centre Pty Limited to get the best care and attention. They have certified counsellors who will help navigate through the challenges and learn about techniques to manage motions better. With their professional guidance and support, you will see a better improvement and increased self-esteem.