Who is suitable for cbt

Counsellors, psychologists and therapists can all provide CBT, either in one-on-one therapy sessions, small groups or online.

People are trained to look logically at the evidence for their negative thoughts, and to adjust the way they view the world around them. The therapist will provide 'homework' for between sessions. Generally, six to 10 sessions are required but the number will vary from person to person.

More recently, a number of online programs such as moodgym and This Way Up have been developed to deliver CBT to people in their own homes. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The Alexander technique stresses that movement should be economical and needs only the minimum amount of energy and effort.

Family and friends of people with Alzheimer's disease discuss their experiences and how to recognise the early signs. Know that you are not alone, push through the anxiety of sharing to get help. Know it will shift and change, and that these feelings are not forever.

Well-managed anger can be a useful emotion that motivates you to make positive changes. There are many people you can talk to who can help you overcome feelings of wanting to lash out. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.

All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Skip to main content. Mental illness. Home Mental illness. Cognitive behaviour therapy CBT. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. What is cognitive behaviour therapy? Issues to consider before choosing CBT Where to get help. When CBT is useful CBT is used to treat a range of psychological problems including: anxiety anxiety disorders such as social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder depression low self-esteem irrational fears hypochondria substance misuse, such as smoking, drinking or other drug use problem gambling eating disorders insomnia marriage or relationship problems certain emotional or behavioural problems in children or teenagers.

Using CBT to treat anxiety Everyone feels anxious sometimes. Using CBT to treat depression People with depression can have ongoing negative feelings about themselves, other people and the world around them. CBT combines cognitive therapy and behaviour therapy CBT focuses on changing unhelpful or unhealthy thoughts and behaviours. Behaviour therapy The aim of behaviour therapy is to teach the person techniques or skills to alter their behaviour.

However, CBT typically includes the following: assessment — this may include filling out questionnaires to help you describe your particular problem and pinpoint distressing symptoms. You will be asked to complete forms from time to time so that you and your therapist can plot your progress and identify problems or symptoms that need extra attention personal education — your therapist provides written materials such as brochures or books to help you learn more about your particular problem.

A good understanding of your particular psychological problem will help you to dismiss unfounded fears, which will help to ease your anxiety and other negative feelings goal setting — your therapist helps you to draw up a list of goals you wish to achieve from therapy for example, you may want to overcome your shyness in social settings.

You and your therapist work out practical strategies to help fulfil these goals practise of strategies — you practise your new strategies with the therapist. For example, you may role-play difficult social situations or realistic self-talk how you talk to yourself in your head to replace unhealthy or negative self-talk homework — you will be expected to actively participate in your own therapy. You are encouraged to use the practical strategies you have practised during the course of your daily life and report the results to the therapist.

The way you think can be helpful - or unhelpful. You've had a bad day, feel fed up, so go out shopping. As you walk down the road, someone you know walks by and, apparently, ignores you.

This starts a cascade of:. The same situation has led to two very different results, depending on how you thought about the situation. How you think has affected how you felt and what you did. In the example in the left hand column, you've jumped to a conclusion without very much evidence for it - and this matters, because it's led to:.

If you go home feeling depressed, you'll probably brood on what has happened and feel worse. If you get in touch with the other person, there's a good chance you'll feel better about yourself. If you avoid the other person, you won't be able to correct any misunderstandings about what they think of you - and you will probably feel worse.

This 'vicious circle' can make you feel worse. It can even create new situations that make you feel worse. You can start to believe quite unrealistic and unpleasant things about yourself. This happens because, when we are distressed, we are more likely to jump to conclusions and to interpret things in extreme and unhelpful ways.

CBT can help you to break this vicious circle of altered thinking, feelings and behaviour. When you see the parts of the sequence clearly, you can change them - and so change the way you feel. CBT aims to get you to a point where you can 'do it yourself', and work out your own ways of tackling these problems. You can do CBT individually or with a group of people, or even a self-help book or computer programme. Fear Fighter is for people with phobias or panic attacks; Beating the Blues is for people with mild to moderate depression.

CBT is used in many conditions, so it isn't possible to list them all here. We will look at alternatives to the most common problems - anxiety and depression. A course may be from 6 weeks to 6 months. It will depend on the type of problem and how it is working for you. The availability of CBT varies between different areas and there may be a waiting list for treatment. There is always a risk that the anxiety or depression will return.

If they do, your CBT skills should make it easier for you to control them. So, it is important to keep practising your CBT skills, even after you are feeling better.

There is some research that suggests CBT may be better than antidepressants at preventing depression coming back. If necessary, you can have a "refresher" course. Depression and anxiety are unpleasant. They can seriously affect your ability to work and enjoy life.

CBT can help you to control the symptoms. It is unlikely to have a negative effect on your life, apart from the time you need to give up to do it. Information, support and understanding for people who suffer with depression, and for relatives who want to help. Self-help groups, information, and raising awareness for depression. Self-help books which use the theories and concepts of CBT to help people overcome many common problems. Titles include: overcoming social anxiety and shyness, overcoming depression and overcoming low self-esteem.

Williams CJ Overcoming depression and low mood: a five areas approach. This site uses cookies: Find out more Okay, thanks. Buy this leaflet Print this page Share this page facebook twitter linkedin.

Disclaimer This leaflet provides information, not advice. Although we make reasonable efforts to compile accurate information in our leaflets and to update the information in our leaflets, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in this leaflet is accurate, complete or up to date.

What is CBT? It is a way of talking about: how you think about yourself, the world and other people how what you do affects your thoughts and feelings. When does CBT help? How does CBT work? CBT involves three core strategies applied alone or in combination, depending on the patients' needs: 1 identifying and challenging problematic thoughts and beliefs, with the goal of helping patients develop more realistic and adaptive thoughts and beliefs, 2 scheduling pleasant activities to increase environmental reinforcement, and 3 extended exposure to unpleasant thoughts, situations, or physiologic sensations to decrease avoidance and arousal associated with anxiety-eliciting stimuli.

The cognitive behavioral model illustrates problematic patterns in thoughts and behaviors that lead to emotional difficulties and functional impairments. Research demonstrates that problematic patterns of thinking and behavior underlie most forms of psychopathology. Targeting changes in either domain leads to changes in the other and in the patient's emotions.

This could cause the patient to feel less hopeless as he or she realizes that the thought was not accurate, and to call a friend to reconnect. Alternatively, the therapist could attempt to change the maladaptive behaviors by helping the patient schedule pleasant activities consistent with his or her values calling a friend. This reconnection could boost the patient's mood and change the belief that he or she will always be alone. Although these examples misrepresent the amount of therapeutic work needed to change entrenched patterns of thoughts and behaviors, they give a sense of what the therapeutic process might involve.

CBT can be used to reduce symptoms of depression, with or without medication. Evidence has shown that CBT and paroxetine Paxil produce equivalent outcomes in patients with severe depression. Similar to the example above, therapists who are treating patients with anxiety and trauma-related disorders challenge problematic patterns of thoughts or behaviors. Evidence-based therapies for PTSD in adults include cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy, whereas trauma-focused CBT is used in younger patients.

Cognitive processing therapy includes psychoeducation about PTSD and focuses on challenging maladaptive thoughts and beliefs about safety, trust, control, esteem, and intimacy. CBT techniques for the treatment of PTSD can be applied across all anxiety and trauma-related disorders in children, adolescents, and adults. Parental involvement in therapy is necessary when children receive CBT. Parents can ensure that their child engages in behavioral exercises between therapy sessions e.

In general, CBT for children focuses more on behavior changes and less on cognitive changes. Behavioral techniques used for children with ADHD and autism are described below. A recent review showed that behavioral parent training, behavioral classroom management, and behavioral peer interventions are well-established treatments for ADHD. These techniques help reduce behavioral problems experienced by children with ADHD and decrease the need for polypharmacy to manage symptoms. Early intensive behavioral interventions are the only evidence-based treatment that confers significant benefits in children with autism.

Parents and therapists engage in intensive exercises focused on reinforcing and rewarding adaptive behaviors. Behavioral treatments for autism produce significant improvements in IQ and adaptive behaviors.

Behavioral therapy is the only effective treatment for autism 12 and is an important adjunctive treatment for ADHD. CBT has been examined and tested across a wide range of psychiatric disorders. In addition, it has been examined as an adjunctive treatment for medical problems in which behavior change could enhance outcomes.

Although a thorough discussion of the effectiveness of CBT for all psychiatric disorders is beyond the scope of this article, it has been shown to have significant benefits for patients with insomnia, 18 psychosis, 23 bipolar disorder, 22 eating disorders, 17 and personality disorders.

CBT can be used alone or in combination with medications for a variety of psychiatric disorders. Medications can be used to stabilize patients and promote recovery, whereas CBT can be used to encourage long-term changes in thoughts and behaviors.

CBT generally produces equivalent outcomes or provides additional benefits compared with the use of psychiatric medications alone. The effects of CBT are reduced in patients who are receiving benzodiazepines 38 — 40 ; therefore, these medications should be avoided in patients with anxiety and trauma-related disorders.

Although a combination of CBT and benzodiazepines may initially seem beneficial e. CBT is most effective when patients complete therapeutic exercises outside of the treatment session; therefore, it requires a significant commitment from patients. Some of the therapeutic strategies may involve anxiety-eliciting stimuli, which can be distressing—although short-lived—for some patients. The structured nature of CBT is not a good fit for patients who are seeking insight into the underlying causes of their distress.

Lastly, CBT is not a substitute for pharmacotherapy for some disorders. For example, CBT should be considered an adjunctive treatment in the management of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, and depression with psychotic features. When discussing psychiatric disorders with patients, family physicians are well suited to help patients decide which services to seek. In addition to asking about patients' personal and family histories of psychiatric disorders, family physicians can help patients identify thoughts and behaviors that are contributing to their problems.

For example, avoidance behaviors e. Family physicians can encourage patients to face safe stimuli and, if possible, seek safe fear-eliciting stimuli. For patients with depressive symptoms, encouraging engagement in a daily pleasant activity is helpful. Family physicians are on the front line when it comes to treatments for psychiatric disorders and can be influential when recommending treatments to their patients.

Building a collaborative relationship with community-based behavior therapists enables family physicians to provide comprehensive care. Table 1 provides resources for CBT, including websites for locating therapists and information to help patients select a therapist.

For patients who are already engaged in therapy, family physicians can help determine whether they would benefit from CBT, especially if the alternative is a potentially longer-term, less cost-effective form of psychotherapy.

Table 2 lists key features of CBT that physicians can incorporate into discussions to optimize their patients' care. Treatment is goal-oriented and collaborative; patient is expected to be an active participant. Treatment is focused on changing current problematic or maladaptive thoughts or behaviors. Data Sources : A PsycINFO search was completed using the key terms cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and behavior therapy.

The search included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, and reviews. Search dates: October and November In addition, we used an evidence summary from Essential Evidence Plus.

Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. ANNE N. Health Care System. At the time the article was written, she was a resident in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Address correspondence to Scott F.

State St. Reprints are not available from the authors.