About cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a scientifically based form of psychotherapy that has gained great popularity in the past few decades due to its effectiveness. Cognitive behavioral therapy was developed in the 1960s by Aaron T. Beck as an alternative to previously dominant therapeutic approaches. Therefore, the goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is not to delve deep into the past and influence the sources of unpleasant thoughts and undesirable behaviors, but rather to empower a person through various exercises to independently manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the current situation.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the assumption that mental health problems are caused by maladaptive patterns of thinking and behavior - patterns that may have once been beneficial to the individual, but today cause much more harm than good. Therefore, the key to solving mental health problems lies in changing maladaptive patterns of thinking (and experiencing) and behavior. Accordingly, most cognitive-behavioral therapists rely on the ABC model during situation analysis (illustrated below). The first component of this model is the event (antecedent, A). The characteristic of the event is neutrality - it does not have to be universally good or bad. In other words, the same event can be interpreted differently by different people. This stage of event interpretation represents the second component (belief, B). Each interpretation of an event is based on our previous knowledge, experiences, attitudes, values, and other characteristics of our identity - it is always subjective and does not have to be completely accurate (and not the best for us or the people around us). However, the interpretation of an event causes certain consequences (consequences, C): if we judge that a barking dog wants to play, we will pet it, but if we judge that it is aggressive and wants to chase us, we will not approach it. This example also shows the connection between thought and behavior on which other principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy are based.
Cognitive behavioral therapy principles are used in counseling to address a wide range of mental health and well-being issues, including depression, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, and stress management. The use of these techniques is particularly effective for people with low self-esteem or those who are frequently stressed due to irrational beliefs and negative thought patterns. Also, during cognitive behavioral therapy, clients apply specific techniques and exercises to change thoughts and behaviors in everyday life, which contributes to long-term change and maintenance of mental health and well-being.
Scientific research consistently confirms the high effectiveness of CBT in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, and the results are often long-lasting. You can find more about this at the following links: