Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Depression

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Cognitive behavioral therapy commonly known as CBT is a systematic process by which we learn to change our negative thoughts into more positive ones. CBT is a combination of two types of therapy, Cognitive Therapy and Behavioral Therapy. Cognition is our thoughts, so cognitive behavioral therapy combines working with our thought process and changing our behavior at the same time. Cognitive behavioral therapists believe that our behavior and our feelings are influenced by the way we think; also our mood is affected by our behavior and thought process. So CBT tries to tackle our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Scientific research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is affective for a wide range of mental health problems. The purpose is to bring positive change by alleviating emotional distress such as depression. CBT starts by breaking down your problems into smaller components, often trying to identify particular problematic thoughts or behavior. Once these problems are broken down it is then suggested a straightforward plan in which the patient and therapist can intervene to promote recovery. Cognitive behavioral therapy earliest inventors were behaviorist, such as Skinner, Watson, and Pavlov. They’re the ones who led to the advancement for behavioral treatment of mental disorders. Behavioral modification is a technique that uses positive and negative reinforcements to change a particular behavior and reaction to a stimulus. Behavioral therapist only focused on an individual’s behavior not their thoughts. During this era, psychologists applied B.F. Skinner’s radical behaviorism to clinical work. Much of these studies focused on chronic psychiatric disorders, such as autism and psychotic behavior. His methods also focus... ... middle of paper ... ...ll be associated with an unpleasant feeling rather than a pleasant one. Furthermore, cognitive behavioral therapy may not cure your condition or rid you of all your unpleasant situations, but overall it can be an effective treatment and comes highly recommended. It gives you the power and tools to cope with stressful situations in order to live more positively, making you feel better about yourself and your life. CBT is proven to work with many clinical problems that plague the human condition. Works Cited Beck, A. (1978). Cognitive therapy of depression (The Guildford Clinical Psychology and psychopathology series). New York, N.Y : Guildford Press. Thompson, D. G. (2009 ). Treating Late Life Depression: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Approach . Oxford University Press . whitfield, g. (2007). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Explained. Radcliffe Publishing.

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