Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Techniques for Retraining Your Brain

Begin by meeting Dr. Satterfield's patients - Carol, Michael, and Maria - each with something in their lives that could be helped with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You will follow these patients as you learn the basics of CBT, including how you can train your brain to improve motivation, management of emotions, and interpersonal skills.

Trace the roots of CBT and see how it upends the typical psychoanalysis process, focusing on daily events and emotions instead of past history. Watch as Dr. Satterfield performs an initial assessment of three new patients, helps them set SMART goals, and begins to collect data about their thoughts, emotions, and actions.

A fascinating aspect of CBT is the collaborative journey the therapist and patient take to create the patient's case formulation, a living document that serves as a basis for an individual treatment plan and guides the therapy process. Watch as the doctor helps Michael unpack his anger to understand why certain situations make him furious.

Now that you are familiar with the basics of CBT, explore the Third Wave, which focuses on the process of cognition rather than its content. It's been described as Buddhist meditation meets CBT, and the research shows some surprising results!

Alleviate stress by learning how to quiet the two primary physiological stress pathways: one secretes the stress hormone called cortisol, and the other secretes epinephrine or adrenaline (often called the fight or flight response). See how CBT helps you examine coping styles to determine whether or not you're selecting the best adaptive strategies for you.

Contrast the emotions of anxiety and fear, and consider how each can feed the other. Use the SUDS hierarchy to perform a thorough analysis of situations that induce these feelings, then see how behavioral experiments can systematically desensitize you to the things you once feared or avoided.

Identify the nine hallmark symptoms of depression, then use the CBT triangle to describe the three downward spirals that contribute to a depressive episode. Observe as Dr. Satterfield walks Maria through tools to help her alleviate her depression, and learn how you can apply these same techniques to lift your mood.

Delve into the surprising root of many anger issues and see how CBT works to decrease "hostile fantasies," or the thoughts you have when a person or situation triggers your anger. Add simple exercises to your life that will help you recognize triggers and defuse them before they become full-blown rage.

Progress from basic cognitive restructuring to an in-depth look at a tool that helps build awareness of the thoughts and emotions you have in a particular situation. See how the collaborative problem solving in CBT creates flexibility and the creativity to find something that works for each individual person, given his or her life circumstances.

Although CBT was developed for the treatment of psychopathology and negative mood states, it has more recently been used as a way to encourage or induce positive emotion. Explore recent scientific studies about happiness, and learn which exercises are most effective for cultivating improved mood.

Define the various types of trauma that can affect people - from combat veterans suffering from PTSD to victims of random violence - and learn how CBT can be used to treat these patients with great success. See how the tools used in CBT sessions help to unstick the brain and begin the process of repairing damage.

Forgiveness - and its associated health benefits - begins with a cognitive decision and can be promoted with both cognitive and behavioral strategies. Delve into the fascinating scientific research on forgiveness, identify maladaptive strategies that are holding you back, and create an A.C.T.I.O.N. plan.

Move beyond searching for explanations for why painful events happened, instead turning your thoughts to what those events mean in your broader perspective and how your reactions can be intentionally shaped using CBT. See how CBT can provide tools to support positive shifts in perspective and help you see the bigger picture.

Recently, there has been growing acceptance of CBT as part of the treatment for medical illnesses, from diabetes to cardiovascular disease to cancer. Discover the pivotal role that cognitions and emotions can play in empowering patients and helping them manage their physical maladies.

Whether you want to lose weight, quit smoking, or exercise more, learn the secrets to creating habits that stick. Identify and define core concepts, such as self-control, self-discipline, motivation, and willpower, and see how each of these can be affected by the CBT skills you've learned previously.

Yo-yo no more: Patients who used CBT to manage their relationship with food and exercise showed decreased weight, decreased body mass index, decreased waist circumference, and improved eating habits. Use the core behavior change principles from earlier discussions and apply them to healthy eating and exercise habits.

Review the basics of substance use disorders - alcohol, prescription drugs, and illegal drugs - and what second- or third-wave CBT therapies can offer people who suffer with addiction. Add community reinforcement approach (CRA) to your CBT toolkit and see how it can be more successful than 12-step recovery programs.

Fewer than half of Americans say they get a good night's sleep on most nights. Observe as Dr. Satterfield works with Maria to assess her quality and quantity of sleep. Apply the techniques of CBTI (the "I" is for insomnia) to fall asleep faster and wake more rested.

Both cognitive and behavioral factors influence the experience of pain and the intensity of suffering. Learn how psychological factors can alter the experience of pain, look at mind-body factors that can alleviate or exacerbate chronic pain, and take out the CBT toolbox to see how it can be applied to physical, rather than emotional, hurt.

Relationships are vital to our health and happiness. Explore the intricate world of human relationships, study the unwritten rules of social interactions, and discover how CBT can help you think through difficult situations without letting your emotions get the best of you.

Go beyond the one-on-one therapist-patient scenario and look at CBT's approach to couples' therapy, focusing on communication, conflict, empathy, respect, and intimacy. Meet Michael's wife as she joins her husband in Dr. Satterfield's office to talk about Michael's anger and their relationship.

Problems at work are more strongly associated with health complaints than any other life stressors. Examine best-selling books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People and see where they line up neatly with CBT - and where CBT offers a better way to achieve success and happiness in the workplace.

Peer into the lives of people who have thrived in the face of adversity - why do some people flower while others wilt? The keys to flourishing are flexibility and resilience. Complete your CBT toolkit with a list of ten ways that you can develop and sustain personal resilience.

Finally, take a look at Carol, Maria, and Michael's progress. Then, Dr. Satterfield gives you his personal recommendations for finding a quality therapist, making the most of your sessions, evaluating your progress, and knowing when to end your therapy sessions.