About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Mental Health Programs
Cognitive behavioral therapy, first developed in the 1960s by psychologist Aaron Beck, is now frequently found as a mental health treatment option within larger programs and as a standalone treatment.
It is also often offered as both an individual therapy or group therapy option, depending on what the client is comfortable with or what is more convenient.
This type of therapy is effective when treating a variety of mental health conditions and is also often used as a part of therapy when treating co-occurring mental disorders, like substance abuse and depression together.
CBT is typically meant to be a short-term treatment or type of therapy, lasting no more than 20 weeks, and is heavily goal-oriented and focused.
Specific goals to be worked on, however, are usually unique to the individual in therapy, though they often relate to having healthier and more positive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Key Facts on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Types of cognitive behavioral therapy: cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, exposure therapy
- Mental disorders and symptoms treated with CBT: anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder
- Potential effects of untreated mental illness: difficulties in work or school, legal troubles, physical health problems, worsening of mental illness and formation of new mental health conditions, relationship problems
- Ways that CBT can help: helps people respond to stress more effectively, recognize when they are having unproductive or harmful thoughts, recognize their negative behavior patterns, replace negative thoughts with positive ones, learn valuable coping skills and problem-solving skills, and avoid catastrophizing and other cognitive distortions
- Ways to pay for CBT: private healthcare insurance, state-funded insurance, cash, scholarships, donations, financial assistance
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at Mark Behavioral Health
Mark Behavioral Health is proud to offer CBT as a core component of our residential treatment program, optional to those who are in need of this type of care.
We have found that CBT can not only lend to a longer-lasting mental health recovery, but can also prevent many of the consequences that result when disorders or symptoms go untreated.
A person does not need a specific diagnosis to seek out CBT, and it is important to remember that CBT is not a definitive cure for any mental illness.
CBT can bring about a remission in certain symptoms, however, and can provide people with valuable skills that they can take with them after returning to their normal lives.
Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
While CBT may be considered a type of structured talk therapy with a licensed mental health professional, it can be further distinguished into several types.
People often have a choice in seeking CBT as individual or group therapy, or even as a combination of individual and group therapy.
The following are common subtypes of CBT.
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a type of CBT that focuses on a person’s thoughts and ways of thinking and how their negative or unhelpful thoughts are related to their behaviors.
Skills you work on in cognitive therapy include identifying negative thinking patterns or distorted thoughts, testing and changing harmful core beliefs, and changing any related inappropriate behaviors.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of therapy that combines aspects of CBT with other aspects of psychotherapy, focusing on skills like emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness.
This type of therapy was originally developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but can be used in a variety of other instances successfully as well.
Multimodal Therapy
Multimodal therapy (MMT) is a combination of several psychotherapy and cognitive therapy techniques used closely together and at the same time.
Types of therapeutic approaches that are often included as a part of MMT are cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, DBT, REBT, psychodynamic therapy, and psychoanalysis.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
REBT is considered a type of action-directed psychotherapy with a main focus of identifying negative and unhealthy thought patterns and replacing them with positive and healthy ones.
This therapy is based on the concept that most people are unaware that their thoughts and behaviors are unhealthy, and that once this awareness is found change can begin.
REBT is often used when treating people who have extreme bursts of emotion and particularly anger, and can thus often be found as part of anger management programs.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
This form of CBT therapy is most often used with children and adolescents after experiencing a traumatic event, though it can be used in adults as well.
TF-CBT often incorporates therapy with family members or caregivers, as long as they are non-offenders in the trauma that the child or adult is being treated for.
What Types of Mental Disorders Can Be Treated in CBT?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective when treating a multitude of mental health disorders.
CBT can benefit people who have not even been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, but who would simply like relief from feelings of anxiety or stress in their everyday lives.
Types of mental illness and other symptoms that can be treated in cognitive behavioral therapy include:
- Depressive disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Personality disorders
- Substance use disorders
- Eating disorders
- Phobias
- Bipolar disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Schizophrenia
- Panic disorders
- Chronic pain
- Migraines
What to Expect During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Sessions
In your first session, you will likely set out a plan for your CBT program at the recommendation of your cognitive-behavioral therapist.
Most people attend between 5 and 20 sessions with each session between 30 and 60 minutes in length.
You will also find that each session will be structured and goal-oriented, and that you may even have “homework” to work on in between sessions. This is merely to help people stay focused on the goals of CBT and find patterns in their own lives.
One of the main differences between CBT and talk therapy is that there is an overall focus on the present moment. You may give a brief family history at the start of your sessions, but your therapist will likely not spend a lot of time discussing your past.
In this sense you will discuss recent events and current problems, as well as what you thought, felt, and how you behaved during them.
Your CBT therapist can then go over skills that you can use when coming upon negative thoughts in the future and how you can act in a more healthy and appropriate way.
Skills that are often practiced in CBT treatment sessions are journaling, role-playing, and relaxation strategies like breathing techniques and mindfulness.
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Impacts Mental Health Recovery
Cognitive behavioral therapy can have a life-changing impact on your mental health, going so far as to improve relationships and make managing everyday life much easier.
This is partly due to the fact that CBT techniques and interventions are useful to people in many different situations.
More benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy include:
- People are often able to achieve a partial or complete remission in their symptoms.
- People are able to build and better maintain personal relationships.
- People may see more success in school or at work.
- People may find less stress and more enjoyment in life’s daily challenges.
- People learn self-help skills that they can apply to many areas of their lives.
Cost of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
It can be hard to predict the costs of CBT, as it can be a very individualized form of therapy. For example, you may need five treatment sessions, while another person may need 15. The number of sessions will affect the out-of-pocket cost.
It is also important to note that oftentimes, such as the case at Mark Behavioral Health, CBT is offered as a component of a larger residential mental health program, and would thus be included in the overall costs.
Factors that can affect the cost of cognitive behavioral therapy include:
- The type of health insurance you have
- The length of your program and frequency of sessions
- Whether your therapy is inpatient or outpatient
- Your income
- Your location
- Whether the facility offers financial assistance
How to Enter Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Florida
Cognitive therapy programs are a specialized type of therapy that are not offered within every therapist’s office.
It is possible to find CBT locations through various search locators, and you can also check with your primary care physician for recommendations in your area.
Resources for finding cognitive behavioral therapy in Florida:
We also invite you to visit Mark Behavioral Health or speak with one of our trained representatives, as they can guide you through our various treatment options in the Florida area.
Find Healing with CBT at Mark Behavioral Health
If you are in the Florida area and in search of a quality cognitive behavioral therapy program, please contact us at Mark Behavioral Health.
We offer many other forms of therapy in addition to CBT, with therapists who are experienced and many of which are also bilingual.
Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you or a loved one to get your mental health back to a place you can feel good about.
