This CPD article provides a simple introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), how it can help with different conditions and what CBT courses can offer for learners.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that allows you to speak about and manage your problems by altering the way you think and behave. It typically takes place over a fixed number of sessions and it is commonly used to help treat anxiety and depression, but it is also an effective method when treating other mental and physical health problems.
Unlike some types of talking therapies, CBT focuses on current challenges that you are facing rather than past experiences. The aim is to improve your state of mind by teaching you to understand the links between your thoughts, feelings and actions.
How can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy help you?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy courses can help with your thought patterns and actions as it combines two types of therapies, one being cognitive and one being behavioural. CBT examines the things you think, and behavioural therapy examines the things you do.
By allowing a patient to understand their situation and thinking of it in a different way, CBT not only helps heal from past traumas, but it can also be an alternative to taking medications every day.
Another benefit of cognitive behavioural therapy is once you have learnt the different techniques to help with thought patterns/actions, you can use the skills you’ve learnt not only in the short term, but long term too.
There are a vast amount of mental health conditions that CBT can be used to help treat.
This includes, but not limited to:
- Depression
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Bipolar Disorder
- Drugs and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Different phobias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychosis
What do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy courses teach?
CBT courses can teach how to deal with overwhelming problems in more of a positive manner by breaking it down bit by bit. CBT courses help individuals to gain an understanding of current thought patterns and manage emotions in a more positive manner.
During a CBT course, a person can learn to:
- Identify issues in a more methodical way
- Learn how to use an outsiders perspective
- Understand what thoughts are factual and what are irrational thoughts
- Understand how experiences from the past can affect current thoughts and beliefs
- Help and learn how to think in a more positive manner
- Become more aware of moods and how to control tempers
- Focus on the present rather than being stuck in the past
What can I learn on a CBT course?
CBT courses can vary and cover a range of different aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which includes areas such as depression, low mood, mindfulness, self-harm, suicide prevention, eating disorders and many other aspects. The types of CBT courses available can also range from basic level training to advanced levels for individuals who already have an understanding of what CBT is.
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