The Self Empowerment Center
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) ?
This is called the ABC theory.
A----------------------------------------B--------------------------------------C
Antecedent Beliefs Consequence
(situation) (beliefs/thoughts) (Feelings,behaviors)
(situation) (beliefs/thoughts) (Feelings,behaviors)
So it is clear that A does not cause the C. A (situation) itself does not cause you to feel and act a certain way. Instead, it is your perception of the situation that determines how you feel and act in that situation. In other words, it is the B (beliefs/thoughts) that cause the C (consequence, i.e. feelings and behaviors). For example, how do you feel on a rainy day? Rain (situation/antecedent) does not cause you to feel excited or disappointed. It’s the way you think about the rain, which determines how you will feel and then respond to the situation. You may feel happy in the rain because you think you will not have to water your lawn or it will cool down an otherwise hot day. You may feel disappointed in the rain because you had plans for a barbecue and that would need to be canceled. A famous quotation: "life is not what happens to you, life is what you think happens to you".
Why work with thoughts?
Thoughts are at many different levels, there are day to day thoughts that occur spontaneously called automatic thoughts. The next level are the underlying assumptions, which are beliefs or rules that guide our lives, these include should statements. Then there are core beliefs about the self, other people, and the world around us. These three levels of thought are interconnected. Thoughts may be distorted or illogical and are therefore need to change. Thoughts play a powerful role in maintaining dysfunctional moods and behaviors. Of course, if your thoughts/attitude change, your feelings and behaviors will change accordingly.
Each emotional state has a characteristic pattern of thinking. In depression, the thought patterns characterize hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, and global negativity. (for example, I am a failure, nothing will change, I am not fun to be around) Anxiety constitutes thoughts of psychological danger, involving “what if” thinking. Anger has thoughts of being violated or things not being fair.
How does CBT work?
Cognitive therapists assess thoughts, feelings, behaviors, physiology, and environment in understanding problems. These five areas are interconnected; each one influencing the other. A cognitive therapist may intervene in any or all of the five areas to help a client, but they play particular emphasis on identifying and evaluating thoughts and on behavior change. Therapy attempts to identify and evaluate these thoughts. For example, treatment for a depressed women, who has suffered a loss may be a combination of helping her find a support system and helping change her thought patterns. Therapist can help her identify, evaluate, and modify her thoughts patterns as these thinking patterns may prevent her from making social contacts.
When clients are able to identify, evaluate, and consequently change dysfunctional thinking patterns, changes in mood and behavior occur. These changes help clients change their environment, for example, seeking social support, and may accompany physiological changes too like more energetic.