Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most popular form of therapy. CBT remains popular after more than a century of use, and thousands of people around the world report improvements thanks to its use.
CBT is a form of talk therapy. It aims to identify problem behaviors and their causes. Next, the therapist and the patient work together to replace unhealthy behaviors with positive ones.
However, CBT is not perfect. As a form of therapy, there are certain drawbacks to CBT. For example, CBT is entirely psychological. It does not address any of the somatic (body-oriented) aspects of mental health.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the pros and cons of CBT. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not this type of therapy is for you.
Pros of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- CBT is quite effective, and reports suggest that CBT is comparable in terms of results as some forms of medication. By reconstructing unhealthy thought patterns, CBT helps people overcome mental health issues.
- CBT targets different ‘areas.’ CBT breaks down problems into different types: situations, thoughts, emotions, sensations, and actions. Therapists assess the relationship between these components so that their patients can understand their behavior.
- CBT provides practical skills and coping tools. One of the best things about CBT is that it provides patients with practical skills to employ throughout the rest of their lives. This helps to strengthen and solidify healthy behavior.
- CBT is not age-specific. Pretty much anyone – even entire families – at any age, can benefit from CBT.
Cons of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- CBT is entirely psychological and does little to address the somatic (physical) aspects of mental health issues. Trauma, in particular, is understood to affect the body. Addressing the body is an important component of holistic therapy.
- CBT requires patients to be invested in themselves. Patients who don’t wish to partake in therapy are unlikely to cooperate and unlikely to receive many benefits.
- CBT is a fairly intensive process. Not only does CBT require a time commitment of months or years, there is often a great deal of work to be done in between sessions. However, this ‘homework’ is where the magic really happens. Patients learn to apply the skills that they are taught during therapy.
- CBT is best employed for common mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression. People with overly complex problems may not find much benefit.
- CBT focuses on present-day issues more than it focuses on the underlying problems that contribute to present-day issues. In this sense, it does not always attack the problem at the root. This means that problems may reoccur in the future.
Conclusion
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a popular therapeutic approach. Despite its popularity, however, it is not without flaws.
While many people report success from using CBT, many others find that their problems resurface months or years later. CBT may be an approach best combined with holistic therapy.
If you are concerned about your mental health, don’t hesitate to seek out a therapist who can assist you with CBT or another form of therapy.
