Why C.B.T. Is the Hottest Thing in Therapy
Men, as the saying goes, will do many things before going to therapy. For some, maybe the idea of sitting on a couch and opening up to a stranger about long-repressed childhood traumas doesn’t sound all that appealing. But according to The New Yorker, another kind of therapy has been on the rise lately—one that might appeal to even the biggest skeptics.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or C.B.T., is a type of psychotherapy, or talk therapy, focused on transforming your emotional state by adjusting the way you think about yourself. As opposed to Freudian psychoanalysis, in which patients are asked to free-associate about their deep past in an attempt to access long-repressed memories, C.B.T. focuses on the here and now. Its central idea is that our psychological issues stem from a certain negative “core beliefs” that we hold about ourselves and our place in the world. Interrogating those thoughts, the reasoning goes, can result in positive behaviors and overall well-being.
Typically C.B.T. takes place over a limited number of sessions, in which the client and therapist use exercises designed to locate negative emotions and trace them back to the thought patterns that originated them. C.B.T. has been found to be as effective online as it is in-person, and the exercises are simple enough that many patients choose to replicate them on their own, becoming, in effect, their own therapists.
As Joshua Rothman writes in The New Yorker, “Even though C.B.T.’s central tenets are nearly half a century old, people who discover it today may still find that it feels au courant. It’s a serious therapeutic tool, but it’s also a little life-hacky; it’s well suited for an era in which we seek to optimize ourselves, clear our minds, and live more rationally.” In 2018, Rothman notes, the psychologist Daniel David and his collaborators published a paper titled “Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is the Current Gold Standard of Psychotherapy,” concluding that it was the field’s most studied technique.
If you’re interested in trying C.B.T., the Cleveland Clinic recommends asking your primary care provider—if you have one—to get a referral for a therapist. Make sure your therapist is state-certified, a licensed mental health professional, and specialized in the issue you want to focus on. C.B.T. has proven an effective intervention for insomnia, eating disorders, and depression, among other issues. As with most physical and mental health interventions, it’s important to find a solution that works specifically for you. Once you do find the right therapist, you might find yourself wondering the same thing Rothman did: “Could it really be that simple?”
Ashwin Rodrigues is a freelance writer. He often covers health, fitness, and things you might've heard on a podcast. He previously worked at Morning Brew as a business features reporter. Even more previous than that, he was a staff writer on the culture team at VICE. His byline can also... Read moreX