What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
CBT is a type of psychotherapy that is widely used all over the world, is evidence-based, and is listed among the first-line treatments by treatment guidelines in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders and psychological problems.
How is CBT different from other types of psychotherapy?
There are many types of psychotherapy: psychoanalysis, psychodynamically oriented therapies, interpersonal psychotherapy, supportive psychotherapy. The main differences of CBT from these types of therapy are the following:
- Sessions are structured: In CBT, at the beginning of each session, the topic to be discussed in that session is determined with the cooperation of the therapist and the client, and it is aimed to work on that topic in that session.
- Shorter duration: CBT is applied in approximately 8-12 sessions for the solution of many diseases and problems. This is shorter than the duration of many other types of psychotherapy.
- Therapist/client relationship: In CBT, this relationship is more like a relationship that requires the active participation of both parties, where the client is taught some skills to solve the problem.
Which psychological theories is CBT based on?
CBT was developed based on cognitive and learning theories. According to the cognitive theory, it is not the events themselves, but the way of interpreting the events that cause some mental distress. In CBT, the way of interpreting these events is called automatic thoughts. Automatic thoughts are reactive and rapid thoughts that come to the person's mind suddenly and are not filtered through logic. The person usually does not realize them but remains under the influence of the thought. Their emotions and behaviors are affected by these thoughts. One of the main goals of CBT is to identify these automatic thoughts that are not harmonious and/or cause mental distress and to replace them with alternative thoughts that are healthier, logical and functional.
Accordingto learning theory, a person's behavioral response to a particular stimulus is a learned response. If a reward or relief from a negative situation is achieved as a result of this behavior, this behavior is reinforced. If not, the behavior is extinguished. In CBT, the behaviors that the person has learned as a result of reinforcement over time but that disrupt the harmony of the person are identified and replaced with healthier, logical and functional ones.
Which disorders is CBT effective in treating?
There is a lot of scientific evidence that CBT is effective in the treatment of many mental illnesses, either alone or in combination with psychiatric medications. These include depression, anxiety disorders, disorders with physical symptoms and eating disorders.
Apart from these disorders, CBT can also be used in solving many problems that the person encounters in daily life that do not reach the level of mental illness.
Who can apply CBT?
As with all types of psychotherapy, CBT is not a type of therapy that can be applied with certain "innate" therapy skills. It should be applied by mental health professionals who are well-structured in this field, who comply with international quality standards in terms of duration and content, who are qualified to provide training in terms of knowledge and skills of trainers, and who have completed training programs including theoretical and supervision trainings.
What will learning CBT techniques do for me?
Psychotherapy is a type of treatment with proven clinical efficacy in the treatment of many mental disorders and disorders. This is true for many types of psychotherapy (psychoanalysis, psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy, interpersonal therapy, supportive psychotherapy, etc.). The most advantageous aspect of CBT among these therapies is that it is "cost-effective", that is, it has a short duration and high effectiveness. In our country, the number of clients who can financially sustain long-term psychotherapy is low. CBT can be effective in the treatment of many first-axis psychiatric disorders in as short as 8-12 sessions. It is important for a mental health professional to know these therapy techniques in order to help more clients.
Which institutions provide CBT training?
CBT courses are offered in undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in psychology at many universities and in universities and training hospitals that provide psychiatry specialization training. In addition, this training is also provided within various associations. However, when deciding on the quality of these trainings, it is necessary to pay attention to whether they comply with the standards of international organizations related to CBT (European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies-EABCT, Academy of Cognitive Therapy-ACT) in terms of content and duration. ÜSBDT is the first center affiliated to a university in Turkey to provide CBT education.
For what purpose was ÜSBDT established?
Üsküdar University Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training, Application and Research Center (ÜSBDT) was established to support the widespread and competent application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an evidence-based psychotherapy, in our country.
What will be the activities of ÜSBDT?
The main activity of our center is to provide theoretical trainings to students studying in the field of mental health and those working in this field on the applications of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the treatment of various mental illnesses, and to provide supervision training for the interviews conducted with clients/patients by those who have received sufficient theoretical training. Conducting scientific research on the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is also among the activities of the center.
Who can participate in the trainings at the Center?
Physicians in psychiatry and other branches, those who have completed their psychology, psychiatric nursing, psychological counseling and guidance education at least at undergraduate level and those working in these fields can participate in our trainings. Participation other than these people will be specified in the specific announcements of the courses to be opened. Applications from outside the institution will also be considered, provided that priority is given to Üsküdar University students and graduates.