Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): GCSE Psychology Definition

What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)?

In GCSE psychology, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is defined as a treatment for depression which works by challenging negative thoughts and developing positive behaviour. Psychological treatments like CBT revolve around talking therapy and targeted tasks that the patient undergoes with guidance from a therapist or on their own as ‘homework’. 

Depression is the outcome of poor mental health, which is caused by faulty, irrational, or negative thinking. Catastrophising is the tendency of depressed people to see everything as a huge failure. For example, “I will fail all of my exams if I flunk this test; I won’t get a job and I’ll end up being a failure.” CBT helps clients think more rationally and replace their negative, illogical thoughts with logical ones, which helps lower their feelings of depression. 

It is believed that altering one’s thoughts will eventually alter one’s behaviour. A client undergoing CBT is asked to schedule a fun activity that will give them a sense of accomplishment each day using the behavioural activation technique. The person should feel better and more positive after successfully completing the planned activity. 

With the client and therapist meeting once a week or every two weeks, for a duration of 30 to 60 minutes each, a course of CBT typically takes 5-20 sessions.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

You can use the Save My Exams revision notes to revise CBT as a psychological treatment for depression and to further your understanding of the interventions available for treating depression. 

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