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When sessions are covered, members typically pay an average copay of about $23 per session. Check your in-network status on the BetterHelp site. Coverage varies by state and provider availability.
What does CBT stand for? CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is often considered the gold standard of mental health treatment. It is a talk therapy approach that can be used to improve the symptoms of a variety of mental health challenges and disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be an effective tool for treating anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, phobias, substance use disorders, and more.
Getting started with BetterHelp is simple:
- Take a short questionnaire. Answer a few quick questions about your goals, preferences, and the type of therapist you’d like to work with.
- Get matched quickly. In most cases, you can be matched with a licensed provider in as little as 48 hours.
- Start therapy on your terms. Schedule sessions by video, phone, or live chat, and join from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Finding the right therapist isn’t just important – it’s everything.
Find your matchThis approach typically works by a licensed mental health professional identifying unhelpful or incorrect thought patterns or ways of coping and digging into how they may be affecting a person’s emotions and behaviors before actively replacing them with healthier thought patterns, thus positively impacting the person’s feelings, behavior, and actions. If you’re interested in trying CBT, you may search online for "cognitive therapy near me" and connect with a licensed therapist in your local area or through an online therapy platform.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) defined
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological therapy that can be an effective treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions and disorders.
CBT in simple terms
Put simply, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, combines two fundamental approaches in psychological therapy: cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. It focuses on helping people identify negative thoughts and reflect on how these thoughts impact their behavior. The goal is to reframe thoughts to have a more positive influence, lifting us up rather than bogging us down.
Why CBT focuses on thoughts, feelings, and behavior
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on thoughts, feelings, and human behavior because all of these things are interconnected. What we think and feel on a daily basis directly influences how we act and the choices we make. With CBT, the approach is to change the thought, and the feelings and behaviors will change as well.
Core principles behind CBT
Cognitive behavior therapy encompasses several core principles in its clinical psychology approach. Besides having a specific structure, APA lists the core principles that form the basis of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as follows:
- Psychological concerns are usually at least partly based on faulty or unhelpful thought patterns.
- Disorders or conditions are normally at least partly based on learned patterns of unhelpful behaviors.
- People who live with psychological problems or conditions can learn better-coping strategies that may relieve their symptoms and lead to happier, healthier lives.
The premise behind CBT is generally to get people to change their unhelpful ways of thinking and, in so doing, change unhelpful behavior responses.
How CBT helps you gain insight into patterns
In CBT, your therapist may ask you targeted questions to help you gain insight into your thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. They may then gently point out ways that problematic thoughts might be resulting in unhelpful or counterproductive behaviors. For example, if you want to make friends and someone invites you to a party, it might not be helpful to entertain thoughts like:
- They only invited me because they felt obligated.
- I doubt I’ll have anyone to talk to there.
- Parties always make me anxious.
Dwelling on thoughts like these could be self-sabotaging, influencing you to turn down the invitation to the party.
Identifying and changing problematic thoughts
Once you identify patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving with the help of a mental health professional, you can start to change thoughts that are not serving you or your treatment goals. For example, you might realize that many of your thoughts about socializing are rooted in low self-esteem and social anxiety. In order to avoid facing these issues, you may be subconsciously talking yourself out of opportunities to make new friends.
Linking skills to treatment goals
Your therapist may teach you strategies like cognitive reframing that can help you transform negative thoughts into more helpful ones. They may also teach you skills such as positive self-talk and deep breathing to help with root issues such as anxiety and low self-esteem.
What is CBT used for?
CBT has been proven beneficial for addressing many mental health conditions, such as:
- Depression: CBT provides structured treatment to help identify and manage negative thought patterns.
- Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder: This treatment equips individuals with tools to reduce symptoms and regain control.
- Substance use disorder: CBT focuses on addressing triggers and behaviors associated with substance use, making it a valuable part of treatment plans.
- Binge eating disorder: This treatment helps individuals develop healthier coping mechanisms and change patterns of disordered eating.
- Marital problems: Cognitive behavioral therapy can be a part of treatment to improve communication and resolve conflicts.
- Eating disorders: As a structured treatment, CBT addresses distorted thoughts about food and body image.
- PTSD: This treatment teaches strategies to process trauma and reduce its impact on daily life.
- Panic attacks: CBT is an effective treatment for identifying triggers and managing panic responses.
- Negative thoughts and behaviors: Changing these patterns is central to CBT’s treatment approach.
- Phobias: This treatment uses gradual exposure techniques to reduce fear and anxiety.
- Sleep disorders: CBT offers treatment strategies to improve sleep hygiene and address underlying issues.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): As part of treatment, CBT targets obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
- Bipolar disorders: This treatment helps with mood regulation and managing daily challenges.
- Schizophrenia: CBT can be integrated into treatment to help individuals manage symptoms alongside medication.
- Sexual disorders: Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used as an approach for addressing intimacy and performance-related concerns.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This method provides practical tools to manage symptoms and regain stability.
- Other personality disorders: CBT serves as a strategy for improving emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning.
- Stress management: This approach helps individuals cope with daily stressors more effectively.
CBT can also be effective in treating various mental health problems, behavior patterns, emotional difficulties, and challenging situations that may not come with a particular diagnosis. CBT therapists focus on ways to change patterns of thinking, which, in turn, influence behavior.
Is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) effective?
Numerous research studies, clinical trials, and peer-reviewed studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve people's function, emotional control, and quality of life. In fact, the cognitive behavioral therapy approach is normally as effective as or more effective than other psychological therapy approaches or psychiatric medications. In clinical practice, CBT is a prevalent psychological treatment. CBT is an evidence-based method used to treat people of all ages to develop helpful ways of thinking while managing negative emotions. It's one of the most common forms of psychotherapy and has been used to treat many conditions, including depression, anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, and other psychological issues.
Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) may also improve emotional health by helping to reframe negative thinking and self-talk associated with many mental health disorders. This treatment plan may employ techniques, such as mindfulness and other forms of coping skills, to address various emotional challenges. Whether someone has an eating disorder, a gambling addiction, or faces challenges at work or with family members, they may benefit from therapy sessions with a licensed therapist.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work?
During CBT therapy sessions, a healthcare provider typically uses a structured process to help clients quickly become aware of negative or inaccurate thinking patterns and unhelpful behavior so that they can cope better with emotional challenges and respond more effectively. One of the benefits of cognitive therapy is that it can be a short-term treatment, as it generally requires fewer sessions than other approaches, and patients usually notice improvement after the first few sessions. The evidence for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally strong. Often considered the "gold standard" of therapy today, CBT can create positive effects through its reframing technique, so the client can continue to benefit from CBT techniques beyond the therapy session.
Thought work and cognitive restructuring
During counseling sessions, clinicians using this therapeutic approach frequently work with clients to help them recognize distortions in their thinking that may be causing problems in their lives and perhaps influencing mental illness. Once clients are able to have a better understanding of their thought distortions, they can create more realistic thoughts. Then, the cognitive behavioral therapist can help them reevaluate and apply new, healthier thinking patterns to their lives.
Behavior change and skills practice
CBT often utilizes problem-solving skills to help clients better understand their behavior, its motivation, and how to implement coping strategies to address difficult situations. The process can also include the use of healthy coping mechanisms.
Some therapies may add another component of CBT in treating certain conditions and helping clients change their behavioral patterns. Behavioral therapeutic strategies may assist individuals in facing their fears rather than avoiding them, using role-playing in anticipation of a particular situation or interaction, and learning to relax their bodies and calm their minds. Eating disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and mood disorders can all be improved by healthier thinking patterns from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT therapists may give homework assignments for clients to complete to bolster their treatment outside of therapy sessions.
As a stress-management approach in one's daily life, CBT may be beneficial for addressing unhelpful behaviors or irrational beliefs that prevent altering one's thought patterns. Since chronic stress is linked with various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders, it's advisable to seek help in managing it.
CBT homework
As with many other forms of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) involves homework that individuals are encouraged to complete between sessions.
Why CBT involves homework
There could be various reasons a CBT therapist assigns homework, but generally, it’s to provide practice for learning CBT skills and to gain insight into thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Skills such as cognitive re-framing and positive self-talk require many hours of practice before they become habitual. When these techniques become second nature, clients can make quick progress towards their treatment goals.
Examples of homework assignments in CBT
Specific homework assigned will depend on your therapist’s discretion. Generally, CBT homework includes:
- Thought diaries or journaling
- Exposure exercises
- Cognitive restructuring worksheets
- Practicing stress management and relaxation techniques
- Scheduling activities and following through
- Problem-solving worksheets
one or more self care & clinical tools
What are some risks associated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?
There generally aren’t any significant risks associated with CBT and its therapeutic approaches. However, as with most types of therapy, you may want to be aware that certain sessions may make you feel emotional or even uncomfortable. This can be completely normal and expected.
We encourage you to try not to worry about that too much; it can be part of the process. Cognitive behavioral therapy normally works to help you explore your experiences and emotions, which often include painful feelings. It isn’t necessarily surprising if you cry, get upset, or feel angry during or after a challenging session.
With that said, you should typically not experience psychological distress due to CBT. Sometimes, you may leave a session feeling mentally and emotionally drained. These can be good signs because they may validate that you can start releasing these painful emotions, which is frequently a vital part of the healing process. This can be especially true for a type of CBT called exposure therapy, which is most often used to treat people with fear and anxiety. In general, for this type of treatment, the clinician exposes the client to the things they’re afraid of in small doses. While the exposure therapy approach often causes stress or anxiety initially, over time, these cognitive behavioral interventions usually help people overcome their fears by facing them head-on. However, your therapist may also teach you relaxation techniques that you can use to self-soothe after a session.
CBT vs other types of therapy
CBT is a unique form of short-term therapy that has been proven effective for treating many mental health conditions, including common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
How CBT differs
CBT differs from other forms of psychological therapy in its focus on current problems in a person’s life. The goal is to equip individuals with the skills and coping strategies necessary to function optimally in their day-to-day experiences.
CBT and past experiences
CBT has been criticized for ignoring deep-seated issues such as childhood trauma and other past experiences. In some cases, it could be a matter of personal preference whether a client wishes to explore the past and its impact on the present or put all of their efforts into improving their current situation. You can also ask your therapist to share their expert opinion on what type of therapy may be most effective for you.
How long does CBT take to improve mental health?
In most cases, CBT works over the short term. People often feel the benefits of their therapeutic sessions after five to 20 sessions. Your therapist will typically talk with you early on about your therapeutic goals and make sense of what you want to achieve. How many sessions you’ll need usually depends on the reason you reached out initially, the severity of your symptoms, how much stress you’re under, how long you’ve been living with a mental health disorder, and other unique factors.
Everyone tends to heal within their own timeframe. The length of time for your treatment will depend, in part, on how quickly you make progress, which can depend on your willingness and effort during therapy.
What you can expect from traditional cognitive-behavioral therapists
The typical expectation of CBT isn’t necessarily to “cure” you. If that’s what you’re expecting, you may be disappointed Reviewing cognitive behavioral therapy examples beforehand may help you. The thoughts and feelings you are experiencing may or may not go away, but what you can gain from cognitive behavioral therapy may be the power to cope in a healthier manner, which can give you a better outlook on yourself and your life.
The reality is that CBT can work better for some people than others. You are often a central component of the success of your therapy. The psychological treatment of CBT generally works best when you fully engage with your mental health professional.
That doesn’t always mean you must open up about your every thought, experience, and emotion from the first session. You’re likely bound to uncover fears, painful emotions, or embarrassment during your sessions. When these uncomfortable feelings surface, that can be the right time to communicate to your therapist that you’re having difficulty with them so your therapist can help you find a way to express them.
How to find the right therapist for CBT
As with most forms of therapy, the success of cognitive behavioral therapy is largely dependent on the relationship between you and your therapist. The American Psychological Association refers to this as the therapeutic alliance, and it can play a crucial role in achieving your treatment goals.
What to look for in a CBT provider
When searching for the right therapist, you’ll want to look for someone with the proper credentials and experience. It’s a plus if the provider specializes in treating mental health problems similar to your own. You’ll also want to look for someone who makes you feel comfortable and understood.
Questions to ask a prospective CBT therapist
Here are some strategic questions you can ask to ensure you find the right therapist:
- What type of experience do you have with CBT methods?
- Do you specialize in CBT or do you use other approaches as well?
- How do you monitor progress?
- Can I expect to have homework between sessions? What kind?
- How many sessions before I see improvement?
- Do you offer online sessions?
- What role will I play in developing my own treatment plan?
Finding the right therapist isn’t just important – it’s everything.
Find your matchOnline cognitive behavioral therapy
Fortunately, you don’t have to decide for yourself whether CBT is right for you.
Instead, you can seek professional help by scheduling an appointment with a licensed therapist who can help pinpoint the challenges you’re experiencing and determine the best course of treatment. Ultimately, this may include cognitive behavioral therapy or other treatments entirely.
How online CBT works
Online therapy (CBT) services generally offer you a safe space to speak about your well-being with mental health experts trained to help you through mental health challenges like self-esteem, anger, depression, anxiety, and more, right from the comfort of home. You may not have to worry about commuting to an office or being on a waiting list, as you might with traditional in-office treatment. Instead, you can learn skills like cognitive restructuring and positive affirmations during a live video or audio call with your provider.
When virtual CBT can be a good fit
If you’re currently experiencing distressing symptoms or you feel stuck in life, online CBT with the right therapist could be a good step in the right direction. With online treatment through platforms such as BetterHelp, you can typically get started right away. While the site's licensed therapists can treat the symptoms of a mental illness, therapists aren't able to diagnose a medical condition or prescribe medications for it. The most benefit may come from addressing and alleviating symptoms through a proven, effective form of treatment based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Research shows that online CBT can be highly effective, even as a short-term therapy. One study review determined that online CBT typically led to a 50% improvement in symptoms for multiple types of anxiety disorders and depression, and was also found to “significantly decrease the impact of stress and chronic fatigue.” If you want to try CBT or any other type of therapy, be sure to reach out for the professional support you deserve.