Let’s look at the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy techniques are often studied by therapists and applied to their clients, but ordinary people can also learn and apply various methods by themselves. Types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques include guided discovery, behavioral experiments, identifying core beliefs, and relaxation techniques. Through cognitive-behavioral therapy, you can analyze in which situations you feel stressed and what the problem is, and try to alleviate the stress!
1. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed through the scientific verification of psychoanalysis, and it is a short-term and effective treatment method.
The principle of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to change human thoughts (perspectives, interpretations) to change the situations, sensations, and emotions that are perceived as stressful.
In cognitive-behavioral therapy, the ultimate goal is for the client to become their own therapist by understanding the cognitive model and the various concepts that arise from it, and cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques are the skills for this process.
2. Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques
Let’s look at the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Most techniques are methods to change the client’s thoughts and behaviors.
1) Guided Discovery
The first types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, guided discovery, is a method in which the therapist uses Socratic questioning during the cognitive-behavioral therapy counseling process to elicit the client’s thoughts, beliefs, and emotions.
Through various questions, the client can discover what their thoughts are on their own, and evaluate the validity and usefulness of those thoughts, minimizing uncomfortable emotions.
Although the method may vary by institution, the therapist primarily teaches the client to write down dysfunctional thoughts and learn to analyze and organize their thoughts independently.
Training to write down thoughts allows you to evaluate your thoughts from a third-party perspective when you unknowingly fall into thoughts and emotions.
2) Behavioral Experiment
The second types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, the behavioral experiment, is where the therapist and client plan together and directly experiment with actions to see if their thoughts and beliefs are realistic and valid.
Even if you train to change your thinking through guided discovery, the results can vary by individual, and in some cases, beliefs can change through direct experiences with behavioral experiments.
For example, if you have the belief that you won’t understand the content and will lose concentration while reading a book, you can plan and conduct a behavioral experiment with the aforementioned action.
3) Behavioral Activation
The third types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, behavioral activation, is a process of increasing activity to prevent the depression from worsening by being inactive and feeling depressed at the same time for people with depression.
People suffering from depression often have low activity levels and often develop disappointing thoughts about themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to write an activity plan and engage in activities.
During the activity planning process, the client can find activities that give them a sense of accomplishment and fun and continue to adjust their schedule by modifying the activity plan.
4) Emphasizing Positive Aspects
The fourth types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, Emphasizing Positive Aspects, is a method that guides thinking in a positive direction.
The human brain’s thought system cannot use positive and negative thoughts at the same time. Therefore, you use either positive or negative thoughts.
Usually, when there is a lot of stress or a mental illness, there is a tendency to think negatively, so the therapist can intentionally emphasize and elicit the client’s positive aspects.
Through such a process, the client can also recognize their strengths and positive aspects, and focus on positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts.
5) Distinguishing Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors
The fifth types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, Distinguishing Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors is a method of understanding oneself.
In the cognitive model, which can be considered the basic formula of cognitive-behavioral therapy, distinctions are made between events (objective situations), automatic thoughts (thoughts that arise without one’s awareness), emotions (depression, anxiety, anger), behaviors, physiological symptoms (physical reactions), core beliefs (unconscious beliefs), and past experiences.
When beginning cognitive-behavioral therapy, the client’s patterns of thoughts and behaviors from childhood to the present are examined, as well as their thoughts about themselves, others, and the world, and any unconscious beliefs they may have.
By repeatedly writing down thought records, the client learns to distinguish between their automatic thoughts, emotions, and events, and to step back and evaluate whether their thoughts are valid.
In the process of analyzing the cognitive model without realizing it, one’s meta-cognitive abilities, often discussed nowadays, can be enhanced.
6) Solving Problems
The sixth types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, Solving Problems is a method for efficiently managing the situations currently facing you.
The skill of solving problems may be easier for individuals with a developed ‘T’ (Thinking) component in their MBTI profile compared to those with a developed ‘F’ (Feeling). However, there can be individual variations.
If one is unknowingly immersed in their thoughts and emotions, their perspective may narrow and their problem-solving ability may decrease. Learning problem-solving skills is one of the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.
You can check what the problem is, plan various solutions, prioritize them, and then execute them.
7) Identifying Core Beliefs
Identifying core beliefs is one of the most important techniques among the various cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques.
One of the goals of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to weaken the intensity of core beliefs because improving thoughts, behaviors, and emotions requires changing negative beliefs related to one’s abilities, relationships, and values.
Core beliefs can be elicited through a map created based on the client’s information, known as cognitive conceptualization (case conceptualization).
8) Cognitive Conceptualization
Cognitive conceptualization is a framework used by therapists to understand and explain a client’s problems, beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
This conceptualization process allows for an in-depth understanding of the client.
Cognitive conceptualization can be challenging for clients to create on their own and may require guidance from a skilled cognitive-behavioral therapy professional.
9) Exposure Therapy
Exposure Therapy is primarily used with clients who have anxiety disorders or phobias, gradually exposing them to the situations or objects that induce fear to reduce the intensity of their fear.
Exposure therapy includes methods using direct exposure, imagery, and virtual reality.
For example, a client with acrophobia (fear of heights) can be exposed to high places through virtual reality to reduce their fear.
10) Relaxation Therapy
Relaxation Therapy is a technique used to control the physical responses (increased heart rate and breathing, pupil dilation, muscle tension, decreased gastrointestinal function) that occur in response to stress.
Since prehistoric times, humans have evolved a brain system that activates the sympathetic nervous system when a situation is perceived as a threat to survival, causing physical changes.
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the body prepares to fight or flee, and in such states, individuals can experience significant anxiety.
Relaxation therapy techniques can alleviate anxiety, including diaphragmatic breathing, muscle relaxation, memory relaxation, and biofeedback.
The author has worked in the psychiatric ward of a Korean university hospital for over ten years and has completed all courses in cognitive-behavioral therapy recognized by the Aaron Beck Association. Personally, if one can receive education on the cognitive model, consistently writing thought records on their own can be very helpful. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend writing thought records!
3. Conclusion and Q&A
We have explored the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. There are various methods beyond what is described in the text, and some techniques can be practiced and applied independently. Let’s explore the frequently asked questions and key points below.
1) What are the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques?
Typical cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques include guided discovery, behavioral experiments, behavioral activation, exposure therapy, and relaxation therapy.
2) Among the types of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, which ones can you try on your own?
If you have received education on the cognitive model and dysfunctional thought record writing, I highly recommend writing thought records to distinguish and analyze events, automatic thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
If you are interested in the cognitive-behavioral therapy process or want to learn how to write thought records, please refer to the link below!
► References and Further Reading
– [Book] Cognitive Behavior Therapy : Theory and Practice – Judith S. Beck / Hana Publishing.
– [Book] Cognitive Behavior Therapy – J. H. Wright, M. R. Basco, M. E. Thase / Hakjisa Publishers.
– Be the Titan Brain
