What is cognitive behavioral-therapy?

Cognitive behavioral-therapy is based on the assumption that it is not the events themselves that cause a person negative feelings and therefore a certain pattern of behaviour, but the coloured glasses through which he sees things. Depressed people, for example, look at whether they have indeed failed in life and whether other people really don't like them or despise them. Often they only pay attention to this. By reversing these 'dysfunctional' thoughts and learning to interpret events differently, a more objective view of one's own feelings and perceptions emerges and negative feelings can disappear, which also changes behaviour. How a person behaves also determines to a large extent how a person feels. If you avoid certain things out of fear, the fear will often become stronger rather than weaker. Those who do not know how to express their opinion will be more likely to be insecure or irritated. Those who have not learned how to control themselves will easily fall victim to their own impulsiveness. Within behavioural therapy, the therapist and client first map out the problematic behaviour and the circumstances in which it occurs. Then, together with the client, we look for more appropriate behaviour patterns in order to respond to those circumstances. 

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What does cognitive behavioural therapy look like in terms of content?

The therapist will give relatively brief consideration to the client's youth experiences. CBT focuses much more often on the present and less on the client's past. Through training with the therapist in real life and through all kinds of homework, the client gradually comes to new thoughts and other, more positive, behaviour. It has been shown that changing behaviour and changing one's mind can go hand in hand. Both forms of psychotherapy use largely the same methods, such as doing homework and exercises.

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