Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that aims to modify the wrong and arbitrary way of thinking and malpractice. This modification has the effect of reducing the exaggerated emotional reactions of the individual and his self-destructive behavior.
The basic principle of the cognitive behavioral approach states that the emotional reactions and behavior of the individual are influenced by the knowledge (thoughts and beliefs of the individual).
An important element mentioned in this approach is that each person reacts differently to each event that occurs. The knowledge, the interpretation that gives the individual, is the one that differentiates the reactions.
On the other hand, there is a connection between emotions and knowledge. In addition, the same approach considers that behavior plays an important role in maintaining and changing the psychological state of the individual. A change in behavior can affect thoughts and feelings.
The cognitive behavioral approach is short, structured and time-limited. There is cooperation between the therapist and the treated. The therapist identifies the problem and then focuses on reducing and resolving it, through the various skills it learns and the goals it sets in treatment. Finally an integral part of the treatment is behavioral techniques that also teach the individual to apply both for his current problems and for future difficulties he will encounter.
This approach can be applied:
- In anxiety disorders
- Fears
- Panic Attacks
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Obsessive–compulsive - OCD
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Sexual Disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sleep Disorder