Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Essay

In order to overcome behavioral problems such as anxiety, depression or fear, individuals usually communicate their problems or anxieties with their trusted friends or family members. In case of a somewhat complicated problem, a counselor is consulted. These are a relatively simple form of counseling that individuals have been practicing from centuries. However, with the development of modern science and advancements in the field of psychology, theorists have identified some more effective approaches for counseling. Behavioral and Cognitive approaches of counseling have proved to be one of the most effective psychological approaches for a wide range of behavioral problems. These approaches were developed as a result of modern psychological
Cognitive behavioral counselors believe that the thinking of an individual influences his or her actions and emotions. Hence, if an individual is experiencing undesirable feelings and behaviors, it is a result of his or her thinking. It is therefore important to identify the thinking, which is the primary cause of undesirable behavior or emotions, and to replace it with productive thoughts that may lead to desirable behaviors. Right now counselors are creating and practicing all sorts of different approaches including Rational Behavior Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy and Rational Living
Therefore, an individual’s behavior and feelings can be controlled and modified to some extent. Hence, a counselor initiates his or her treatment with a belief that the thinking pattern of the patient, suffering from a given psychological problem, can be changed. Another common feature of different CBT approaches is that they bring results in a very short span of time and their effects are long term. On the other hand, other methods of therapy can even take years to bring the desirable result. In case of CBT, the mutual effort made by the patient and the therapist fastens the process and brings the results