Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

With CBT, therapists use a combination of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapies.  With these combined therapies, the person is actively involved in their own recovery.  This promotes a sense of control, and means that they learn skills that are useful throughout life.

CBT focuses on identifying, understanding, and modifying thinking and behaviour patterns.  That’s because, when a person changes thinking and behaviour, then emotional changes usually follow.

Because CBT teaches skills for handling the anxiety, people who learn and practice these skills can use them when needed.

Definitions

Cognitive Therapy  The goal of cognitive therapy is to change unwanted and disturbing thought patterns.  The individual examines his or her feelings and learns to separate realistic from unrealistic thoughts.

Behaviour Therapy   The goal of behaviour therapy is to modify and gain control over unwanted behaviour.  The individual learns to cope with difficult situations, often through controlled exposure to them.