Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was originally developed in the 1960’s by psychiatrist, Aaron T. Beck. This treatment modality is widely considered to be the tried and tested approach to treating Anxiety and Panic Disorders. CBT aims to help people become aware of when they make negative interpretations, and of behavioral patterns which reinforce the distorted thinking. Cognitive therapy helps people to develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving which aims to reduce their psychological distress. Therefore, negative and unrealistic thoughts can cause us distress and result in problems. When a person suffers with psychological distress, the way in which they interpret situations becomes skewed, which in turn has a negative impact on the actions they take. Cognitive behavioral therapy is, in fact, an umbrella term for many different therapies that share some common elements. Two of the earliest forms of Cognitive behavioral Therapy were Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), developed by Albert Ellis in the 1950s, and Cognitive Therapy, developed by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s.
Beck’s original approach was to reduce the suffering his clients were facing by making changes to a person’s internal dialogue. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy has evolved over the years, and there is now a greater awareness of the role of trauma in causing mental health and behavioural problems for individuals. While CBT is used for many ailments, it is often associated with Anxiety and panic. According to Bourne (2015), panic disorder is caused by an overactivity in the parts of the brain called the amygdala or the hypothalamus. It is also in the amygdala where our traumatic memories and emotional processes occur, and where Fight or Flight responses occur. With this understanding, it makes sense that individuals with significant trauma, personal or professional, would be more vulnerable to panic disorders. T-CBT is offered by our clinicians, and can be accomplished in a relatively short timespan for many clients, as this modality supports clients to better understand how their own thoughts, feelings and behaviour are connected.
Through individual and group programming, T-CBT can support people to look closely at their own thought patterns, and to replace negative, or stress inducing thoughts, with an anti-anxiety mantra. There are many specific strategies and approaches to shifting one’s internal dialogue, and when this is achieved, many client reports significantly reduces symptoms in their minds and bodies. This approach is helpful for those struggling with a variety of mental health challenges, including depression, relationship issues, and addiction.
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