Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Proven to be effective for many anxiety disorders, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of counseling that focuses on teaching clients to:

• gradually confront the things they fear in order to feel less afraid.
• learn healthier ways of coping with stressful situations.
• become aware of-- and then change-- the way they think in critical situations.

CBT is different from other kinds of psychotherapy or "talk therapy." Whereas some forms of therapy focus on helping the person to discover why they feel anxious, CBT emphasizes teaching the person how to feel less anxious. Whereas traditional psychotherapy often takes place over several years, CBT is designed to be a relatively brief treatment with distinct, tangible goals. The advantages of CBT are a lack of unwanted side effects and long-lasting beneficial effects that continue even after the person leaves treatment. The disadvantages are that the effects of CBT may take a longer period of time to develop—although sometimes effects can be seen after just a few visits, and that CBT involves more time and effort on the part of the person with the anxiety disorder.

For a more thorough description of CBT, click here.