In my last blog I told you about ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. CBT stands for cognitive behavioral therapy. Both these therapies are research based and can be traced back to behavior therapy. (Remember Skinner?)The behavior therapist would help you change your behaviors so that you can obtain relief. The cognitive therapist adds the thinking component because your thoughts affect your feelings and behaviors. So with the cognitive behavior therapist you will learn to notice unhelpful thoughts and replace them with helpful ones. You will also learn strategies to change the behaviors that are causing problems in your life. There is now a “third wave” of cognitive behavior therapy that adds mindfulness practices. ACT is actually an example of “third wave” cognitive therapy. To find out more, check out Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David Burns, and The CBT Toolbox: A Workbook for Clients and Clinicians by Jeff Riggenbach.
References:
Beck, Judith S. (2011). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. New York: The Guilford Press.
Burns, David D. MD. (2009). Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. New York: Harper.
Riggenbach, Jeff. (2013). The CBT Toolbox: A Workbook for Clients and Clinicians. Eau Claire, WI: Premier Publishing and Media.