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Anxiety & OCD Specialists • (408) 384-8404 |
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Strategies
Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA, MA, LMFT, Cognitive Behavior Therapist • (408) 384-8404
Introduction to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Strategies
It’s human nature to focus on the negative. From an evolutionary perspective, people who have been cautious and alert to danger had a higher rate of survival. Research supports a concept called the Negativity Bias, which says that we have a tendency for our conscious thoughts to focus on the negative and we are more likely to remember negative events than positive ones.
CBT Goal: Open Yourself to Possibilities
The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help broaden your field of vision so you can see more of the relevant information – whether it’s positive, negative or neutral. This will help you to avoid falling into thinking traps, also known as cognitive distortions, so you can form more realistic interpretations about yourself, others and the world. Thinking traps are overly rigid patterns of thinking that can cause you to miss critical information.
You can use a variety of cognitive and behavioral techniques to test your assumptions and develop more realistic thoughts. The goal is not to turn a negative thought into a positive thought. That’s a myth. The goal is to see and interpret information more realistically and to consider if there are alternate thoughts or beliefs that might be possible after looking at all the evidence.
Beware the Confirmation Bias
In doing this, you need to be careful that you don’t filter out or discount relevant information. One of the things about human nature is that we want to be right – even if being right hurts us. The Confirmation Bias is an unconscious force that causes us to be more likely to find and see evidence that confirms what we already believe, whether it is negative or positive. The problem here is that it’s an unconscious effort, which means we are often not aware of its influence on us. In order to counter the Confirmation Bias, we need to be neutral, ask fair questions, consult others who have different beliefs and be open to proving your thoughts false.
CBT Questions to Evaluate Your Thoughts
You can use Socratic Questions to evaluate your thoughts and beliefs. Here are just a few questions that can be helpful.
- What is the evidence? What is the evidence that supports this thought or belief? What is the evidence against this thought or belief?
- What’s an alternative explanation or viewpoint?
- What is the worst that could happen? Could I live through it? What is the best that could happen? What is the most realistic outcome?
- What is the effect of believing this thought or holding this belief? What could be the effect of changing my thinking?
- What would I tell a friend if he or she was in the same situation or viewed the situation this way?
- What would I notice if I had another thought? How would I see this situation differently? How might the outcome be different?
After evaluating your thoughts, you may find that you now hold a different thought or belief. Then you can work on forming a more adaptive response to your original thought and starting to internalize the new thought or belief.
On the other hand, you may find that you can now distance yourself from the thought and see it’s not entirely true but you still have trouble letting go of the thought or belief. In this case, you will need to work with your therapist on using more powerful methods to evaluate your thoughts such as behavioral experiments, exposure exercises or role plays in session.
What If My Thoughts are True?
After going through the above exercises, you may conclude that you were right all along - all the evidence supports your negative thought or belief. If that’s the case, the solution might not be to change your thinking. Instead, it might be to ask yourself: While this belief may be true, how helpful is it for me to think this way? What should I do about it? Your solution may be acceptance if you can’t change anything right now, problem solving to take action to change your situation or skills training to handle the situation more effectively.
Don’t give up hope! You can feel better. CBT has numerous strategies to help you live a better life. You and your therapist will work together to find strategies that will be helpful for you.
Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA, MA, LMFT
Certified Cognitive Therapist by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
1475 Saratoga Avenue, Suite 168
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 384-8404