Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Known most commonly as CBT, is one of the most frequently used therapeutic modalities – it focuses a lot on identifying, understanding and restructuring patterns of thinking that contribute towards dysfunctional emotional experiences.

In CBT, emotional and behavioural responses are considered to be the consequences of the thinking one engages with, hence it’s focus being around addressing these thinking patterns. Classic CBT would analyse one’ system of beliefs about themselves, the world and other people, and identify the nature of the conscious thoughts one experiences in various situations that determine a particular emotional response.

In CBT, one does not want to address thoughts so that negative emotions are no longer experienced, as the modality makes a difference between negative functional/healthy emotions like sadness, and negative dysfunctional emotions like depression.