Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment Therapies

Many people have a misinformed or misguided view of what psychological therapy consists of. This stigma may stem from many of the old-fashion treatments shown on TV and movies. For instance, on TV, psychotherapy may allude to involving dream interpretation or an in depth discussion detailing an individual’s past child hood experiences. Psychotherapy has made tremendous strides since then. Cognitive and Behavioral therapist are usually short term treatments that focus on arming the client with specific skills that are essential to their success.

The basis of cognitive therapy is that thoughts have the ability to influence individual’s feelings. One’s emotional response to a situation can be derived from their interpretation of the situation. For example, you experience the sensations of your heart racing and shortness of breath. If these physical symptoms occurred while you were lying quietly in your bed while watching television, the symptoms would more than likely be attributed to a medical condition, such as a heart attack, leading to fear and anxious emotions. In contrast, if these same physical symptoms occurred while running through the park on a beautiful afternoon, they would not be attributed to a medial ailment, and would likely not lead to fear or anxiety. Different interpretations of the same sensations can lead to entirely different emotions.
Cognitive therapy suggests that a great deal of our emotions are due out thought process; the way that we perceive or interpret our environment. These thoughts sometimes have a way of being bias or even distorted. Within the scope of Cognitive therapy individuals learn to distinguish between their thoughts and feelings. They are also made aware of the way in which their thoughts have and can influence feelings that are not necessarily to their benefit..