“Is cognitive behavioral therapy effective?”
I am a 37 year old male. I wonder if cognitive behavioral therapy effective?
5 Answers
PsychologistPsychologist
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be extremely effective but it is not a treatment for any and all conditions. This treatment was designed initially by Aaron Beck at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the most brilliant and compassionate psychiatrists of all times and someone I had the privilege of training with.
CBT can be very effective for the treatment of anxiety or depression. Although there have been reports indicating its efficacy in other conditions I personally believe it is designed for anxiety with or without panic attacks and depression. Treatment must however ben undertaken by a professional who is well trained as a psychiatrist or psychologist and who has other tools in their treatment options. While CBT is a good and often preferred treatment for these conditions the diagnosis must be made carefully. For example, depression that is part of a Bi-Polar Disorder is not likely to respond well to CBT without also using medications. So, the first step in any situation is a careful evaluation which leads to a specific critical diagnosis and then and only then can someone select the most appropriate treatment.
I always caution individuals, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Make sure you seek CBT from someone well trained in mental health such as a Ph.D. psychologist or psychiatrist who can make the critical diagnosis and select CBT as the appropriate treatment because they have considered others and that is their preferred approach, NOT because that is the only arrow in their quiver.
CBT can be very effective for the treatment of anxiety or depression. Although there have been reports indicating its efficacy in other conditions I personally believe it is designed for anxiety with or without panic attacks and depression. Treatment must however ben undertaken by a professional who is well trained as a psychiatrist or psychologist and who has other tools in their treatment options. While CBT is a good and often preferred treatment for these conditions the diagnosis must be made carefully. For example, depression that is part of a Bi-Polar Disorder is not likely to respond well to CBT without also using medications. So, the first step in any situation is a careful evaluation which leads to a specific critical diagnosis and then and only then can someone select the most appropriate treatment.
I always caution individuals, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Make sure you seek CBT from someone well trained in mental health such as a Ph.D. psychologist or psychiatrist who can make the critical diagnosis and select CBT as the appropriate treatment because they have considered others and that is their preferred approach, NOT because that is the only arrow in their quiver.
CBT is an evidence-based treatment, meaning that it has been rigorously studied and proven to be effective. Those studies are of formal CBT treatment; many clinicians use elements of CBT, which is different. If you want CBT you should seek out a clinic or practitioner who is specifically trained in that treatment. It can be effective for depression, anxiety, bulimia, OCD.