CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy out there. CBT is used too help people train or condition their minds and behavior so that they can turn their lives around. In this episode, I explore this wonderful approach.

Cognitive Therapy Aaron T. Beck

Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy Albert Ellis

ACT therapy (Acceptance and Mindfulness)

DBT (mainly used for Borderline Personality Disorder)

Reality Therapy (problem solving approach based on choice theory) William Glazzer

REBT Appropriate negative emotions… and why you believe what you believe

Automatic Negative Thoughts 

Automatic negative thoughts can create emotional problems, depression, and anxiety. These happen without us even noticing.

The Components of Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Thoughts or feelings that reinforce or compound faulty beliefs and create bad behaviours.

Identify problematic beliefs (functional analysis)

Focus on behaviors

Goal orientation

collaboration

homework 

ABCDE MODEL

Activating Event

Belief

Consequences 

Disruption

Effect

Distortions

Extreme Thinking

• All or nothing thinking Black and white thinking/Polarization (no gray area)
• Overgeneralisation (single incident as sole piece of evidence broad conclusion)
• Always being right 
• Overthinking

Negativity

• Blaming (others fault)
• Mental (negative) filtering (focus on negatives)
• Discounting the positives Minimizing… not a big deal 
• Catastrophising (worst case scenario) Magnification

Poor Thinking

• Jumping to conclusions (sure without evidence)
• Emotional Reasoning (FEEL THIS BWAY THEREFORE TRUE)
• Labeling / Mislabelling (poisonous people)
• Should statements (rules about how people should behave)

Cognitive Fallacies

• Fairness fallacy (things supposed to be fair)
• Control fallacy (assume out or in control extreme either way) 
• Fallacy of Change (expect others change)
• Personalization (everything I do has big impact on world)

CBT Strategies

Mental Exercises

Journaling

Cognitive Distortions

Cognitive Restructuring –  understand what really is true

Play script until the end

Progressive relaxation

Relaxed Breathing

Exposure Exercises

Exposure and Response Prevention (OCD)

Nightmare exposure and rescripting… emotion created then desired emotion

Systematic Desensitization

Implosive therapy

Flooding

Other tactics

Replace bad habits

Find Supportive person

Look up

Change Inner talk

Take care of someone

Do what makes you feel good 

Do good