Chad G. Martinus
Upon completing my cognitive therapy process, I realize how much this approach has transformed my life. Cognitive therapy, for me, was a deep dive into understanding my thoughts and identifying negative patterns that were impacting my mental health.
During the sessions, I was guided by a specialized psychologist who helped me unravel the complexity of my thoughts and explore the underlying beliefs shaping my worldview. Cognitive therapy showed me that our thoughts can significantly influence our emotions and behaviors.
I learned to question and challenge negative automatic thoughts, replacing them with more realistic and healthy thoughts. With the help of Socratic questioning, I was encouraged to explore alternatives, consider different perspectives, and develop a more balanced view of situations.
During the therapeutic process, I also acquired practical tools, such as thought records, which allowed me to observe how my thoughts influenced my daily emotions and behaviors. Through this daily exercise, I could identify recurring negative patterns and replace them with more positive and constructive thoughts.
Cognitive therapy provided me with greater awareness of my mental processes and a profound understanding of the emotional triggers that were causing my anxiety and stress. Through collaborative work with my psychologist, I developed effective strategies to deal with these challenging situations.
As the sessions progressed, I noticed a gradual transformation in my life. Cognitive therapy helped me rebuild my self-esteem, develop coping skills, and adopt a more positive perspective in the face of adversity with better strategies. I learned to handle situations more assertively, have greater control over my emotions, and understand that certain emotions cannot be avoided, only felt.
Today, I feel more empowered and confident to face the challenges life presents me. Cognitive therapy was a process of self-discovery and self-transformation that allowed me to find emotional balance and a better quality of life.
I am grateful to my psychologist and cognitive therapy for guiding me on this journey of personal growth. Now, I am prepared to move forward, using the skills and knowledge gained to tackle future challenges with resilience and confidence.
*The account presented above was created fictitiously based on real information available about cognitive-behavioral therapeutic processes. It is not based on any specific personal experience and does not violate the professional confidentiality between the patient and the professional. Learn more in the article below.
Discovering Cognitive Psychotherapy: Understand, Explore, and Transform
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a process of personal development and coping with psychological issues. It is the primary treatment approach for mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety disorders, relationship difficulties, and social skills.
CBT involves interventions in face-to-face or online sessions, aiming to restore psychological functioning, understand the causes of problems, modify unwanted thoughts and behaviors, and address specific issues. This journey is guided by trained and licensed psychologists, often working collaboratively with psychiatry professionals.
Techniques and Tools
Psychotherapy utilizes various techniques such as Socratic Questioning, Thought Records, and Psychoeducation. Socratic Questioning encourages the exploration of ideas and the revision of perspectives. Thought Records help understand how thoughts influence our mood and behavior. Psychoeducation provides strategies to solve everyday problems, covering environment, physical reactions, mood states, behaviors, and thoughts.
Understanding the Cognitive Model, based on cognitive therapy, allows for the precise mapping and identification of the occurrence of negative thoughts and cognitive distortions. The application of this model facilitates the detection of unfavorable thought patterns, aiding in the therapeutic process. This approach has a solid theoretical and practical foundation in scientific literature.
Indication
The effects of psychotherapy are remarkable. It helps stabilize mood, manage anxiety and stress, improve social skills, and adopt healthy behaviors. Additionally, it promotes the identification and correction of cognitive distortions—thoughts that cause emotional distress or behavioral impairment.
Psychotherapy is recommended not only for crises but also for those who want to enhance their quality of life, gain self-awareness, or explore new professional possibilities. It provides support in crisis situations, relationship difficulties, phobias, and organic disorders with emotional repercussions.
Discover the benefits of psychotherapy, where you can explore aspects of yourself, modify problematic aspects of life, and find new perspectives. Take a step toward self-awareness and well-being through this transformative process.
Psychoeducation
The way we look at our problems changes how we deal with them. Psychoeducation encourages understanding of problems. It goes beyond thought records, revealing the various strategies that can be learned to solve everyday problems: environment, physical reactions, mood states, behaviors, and thoughts. Each interacts with the others, and small changes in any area can lead to changes in the others.
Read more
Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Beck AT, Newman CF. Cognitive Therapy. In: Kaplan & Sadock’s. Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. 8th ed. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005.
Beck, Judith S. Terapia cognitiva. Gedisa, 2001.
Imagens: Dall-e