Cognitive Therapy

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KEY POINTS

• Negative thoughts and beliefs often lead to feeling hopeless, afraid, angry, or feeling like you can’t do anything right. Cognitive therapy helps you be aware of negative thoughts and beliefs, and learn how to change them.
• This therapy works well to help treat depression, anxiety, and panic disorders.

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What is cognitive therapy?

Your thoughts, and how you react to things, affect how you feel about yourself and the things in your life. The way you feel affects how you act. This therapy helps you be aware of negative thoughts and beliefs. You can learn how to change your thoughts, which can help you change how you act. It can also help you improve your self-esteem and confidence.

When is it used?

Negative thoughts and beliefs often lead to feeling hopeless, afraid, or feeling like you can’t do anything right. Cognitive therapy works well for:

• Depression
• Anxiety or panic disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

How does it work?

You and your therapist will work together to understand how you think and the beliefs you have. In cognitive therapy you learn to challenge the negative thoughts you have and find other ways to look at things. This often results in feeling better. For example, if you have the belief that you should be perfect and never make mistakes, you will probably be very critical of yourself, even over something small. You may tend to blame yourself and think you are a failure in everything you do. Even a simple mistake can lead to negative thoughts and feeling bad. Your therapist will help you test your thoughts and beliefs. For example:

• Does it make sense to think that way?
• What has been the result of that belief?
• What is likely to be the result of it in the future?

You learn to test your personal beliefs and the way you think about events, yourself, and the future. You then learn to replace these thoughts and beliefs with healthy ones.

How do I find a therapist?

Ask questions and get referrals from people you know and trust. You could check with:

• Your healthcare provider
• Your clergyman, school teachers, or school counselors
• Friends or family members who have been in therapy
• Your health insurance company
• Your employee assistance program (EAP) at work
• Local mental health or human service agencies
• Professional associations of psychologists, psychiatrists, or counselors