Advantages of Employing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy :: Psychology, Anxiety

Advantages of Employing CBT Fundamentally, CBT is a collaborative project between patient and therapist. In CBT, both patient and therapist are as active as each other. Patients are helped by the therapist to attain knowledge of their problem, in terms of the real experience of the problem and also the ways by which it interacts with and affects their lives. Therapist and patient both collaborate to find the best explanation for the situation and solution to the problem (Haaga & Beck, 1992). CBT therapists are actively engaged with their patients. It is believed that they may talk with their patients more than other therapeutic approaches (Graham, 2005). Another advantage of CBT is that it is a problem-oriented approach (Westbrook, Kennerley, & Kirk, 2007). In CBT, problems are addressed in a practical way and not in ambiguous or general terms. There is a focus on an achievable outcome and goal. Therapy is designed to tackle that specific problem rather than trying to solve all the problems at once. Goals should be ‘SMART’, i.e. be: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and have a Time farm (a date for completion) (Beck et al, 1979). Examples of the real life experience will clarify the situation. For example, if patient suffers from depression, the therapist would ask he/she to describe exactly how he/ she feels and how this problem has affected his/her life. It helps the patient identify the underlying reason to why certain behaviours occur or why the feelings are there. Compared to most psychological therapeutic approaches, CBT is more structured (Brewin, 1996).For example in the beginning of each session the therapist and patient would set an agenda for what they should do in the session and they would try to stick to it. Another benefit of employing CBT could be the fact that there is the relative lack of side effects which medications would cause (March et al, 2004). One of the main advantages of CBT is that this approach is time-limited and brief. It is usually between six to twenty sessions (Fairburn et al, 1987). Since CBT is time-limited, the patient is aware of this limitation and this may result in developing more motivation in the patient. On the other hand, by observing quick changes and progresses, the patient would be more encouraged and motivated and optimistic about the outcome of therapy. Because CBT is short term so it is more cost effective for both patient and therapist.