How Does Cognitive Behavior Therapy Work?
Individuals suffering from problematic behaviors often experience thought processes that support and reinforce faulty beliefs. For example, a person who avoids pursuing a career opportunity due to an anxiety problem may think “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not smart enough.” Cognitive behavior therapy works by helping the individual eliminate these destructive thoughts and replace them with constructive, reinforcing thoughts that boost self-esteem and reduce anxiety. This therapy treatment also focuses on the actual behavior itself. An individual who avoids certain situations due to anxiety will be challenged to take gradual steps toward recovery. This might involve engaging in relatively minor anxiety-provoking situations, and eventually working up to a much larger experience. In addition to identifying underlying thought processes that impact behavior, the client and therapist will also work together to create strategies for coping in the future. For example, a therapist will teach an
