Accurate Reflections of Reality.

Our emotions, thoughts, and behaviour are inextricably linked. When any one of these components is altered, it affects all the others in the system. When people are depressed or anxious, usually thoughts, behaviour, and emotion are in a negative feedback loop, feeding off one another, and maintaining the negative mood state. Cognitive restructuring is a treatment designed to help people recognize and significantly alter thought patterns, as a way of shaking up the emotional system and reversing the course of depression and anxiety. Cognitive Restructuring is a useful tool for understanding and reacting differently to the thinking patterns that negatively influence our mood and behaviour.

There are numerous methods of identifying and altering dysfunctional thought patterns. Generally, they all begin with identifying automatic thoughts, those thoughts which provide a running commentary to our experience. Instead of accepting all of these thoughts as accurate reflections of reality.

For example, in the case of someone with depression, because of the negative feedback loop between thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, the depressed person’s thoughts tend to be pessimistic, filtered through “smoke-coloured lenses.” This results in negative emotions such as sadness and despair. These thoughts and emotions are difficult for the person to call a friend, do his/her best at work, or engage in activities that normally improve that person’s mood. By looking at the dysfunctional thoughts associated with the depression, and seeing them as guesses, that person is better able to consider other points of view about his or her situation, leading to less hopelessness and sadness, which in turn results in more behaviours that promote happiness and satisfaction.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioural Both CBT and CBH are therapies that focus on the present rather than the past. CBT is based on the theory that your thoughts, feelings, sensations and actions are all connected, and that negative thinking can trap you in a vicious cycle. It is a goal-oriented treatment that takes a practical approach to problem-solving. In therapy, your problem, or problems are broken down and worked through one by one. CBT aims to teach new and more beneficial ways in which to deal with issues that pop up in your daily life.

CBH integrates non-trance hypnosis with CBT, using creative visualisation techniques to challenge negative thoughts and feelings and replace them with positive ideas and suggestions for change. There are three major approaches to hypnotherapy. CBH, Ericksonian and Regression (or psychodynamic) Clinical hypnotherapy uses advanced methods of hypnosis and other techniques to treat a variety of medical and psychological problems. The difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy is that hypnosis is defined as a state of mind, while hypnotherapy is the name of the therapeutic modality in which hypnosis is used.

The difference between Behavioural therapy and Cognitive therapy.

As the name suggests, behavioural therapy is an approach that focuses on physical actions rather than thoughts or feelings. Cognitive therapy is the concept that negative thoughts result in dysfunctional behaviour.