Cognitive and behavioural therapies are a family of therapies stemming from traditional CBT as proposed by Aaron T. Beck (1979). They all involve similar principles but each has their own specific focus and preferred techniques for understanding how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours relate to one another within the context of your life. The three most evidence-based CBT therapies are introduced below but there are many others such as Schema Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.
Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT will help you identify and explore unhelpful thoughts and patterns of thinking that lead to difficult emotions and behaviours. CBT focuses on how the connections between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours impact the ways in which you relate to yourself, others, and the world. CBT strategies will focus on building behaviours and new ways of thinking that make you feel better.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
In DBT, you learn to regulate your emotions, improve social interactions, and manage distress by learning specific skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. It is particularly effective for people struggling with emotional dysregulation or lifelong interpersonal/relationship issues, and emphasises the importance of both acceptance, and change, hence the "dialectical" aspect.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is based on the idea that suffering and negative emotions are a natural part of life, and trying to suppress or avoid them can be counterproductive. Thus, ACT prioritises helping people accept their thoughts and feelings, rather than trying to control or change them. Therapeutic work in ACT involves committing to actions aligned with your values, and fostering psychological flexibility for a more fulfilling life.
