Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also know as CBT, is a widespread and well-known tool used in addiction treatment. The focus of cognitive behavioral therapy at TruHealing Baltimore is to relearn healthy coping skills and to build necessary tools to engage with the stresses of life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions focus on active goals and strategies designed around personal needs, with a focus on providing structure and emphasizing direct plans of action. Our therapists and clinical staff will work with clients on their goals throughout their time with us.

CBT is a form of talk therapy emphasizing education by learning effective, healthy, and safe ways to identify and deal with stress or other triggers. As individuals move through treatment, this therapy will help them get used to dealing with stress in a positive manner, without resorting to unhealthy habits such as using drugs and alcohol.

What Does Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Entail?

Developed in the 1960s, cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment designed to prevent people who suffer from addiction from relapsing. However, it has also been used to treat other forms of mental health issues like anxiety, phobias, depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This form of therapy has proven itself to be extremely effective in helping individuals recover from a variety of issues.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy strives to understand how participants feel, think, and understand themselves. Our therapists’ goal is to help participants identify negative thoughts that are based on the immediate reaction or impulses from internalized feelings or false beliefs about self-doubt and fear. Once identified, these feelings, which often lead to substance abuse, can be altered. Whether in group therapy or in one-on-one sessions, clients learn to address and deal with various emotional challenges rather than turn to drugs or alcohol. Similarly, when confronted with grief, loss, negative self-image, or trauma, in cognitive behavioral therapy, individuals learn how to healthily process their emotions and take positive action.

Through this kind of behavioral analysis and talk therapy, clients learn how to:

• Overcome trauma from abuse or violence
• Avoid reliance on medication
• Conflict resolution
• Effective communication

Benefits of Counseling and Behavioral Analysis

There are several benefits to participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy. For instance, individuals who engage with cognitive-behavioral therapy can expect:

• Overcoming Negative Thinking: CBT’s main concern is isolating the erroneous and negative thinking habits individuals have about themselves that then influence their decision-making. By overcoming negative self-image, clients are better able to make positive, healthy choices and enjoy the world around them.
• Self-Knowledge and Understanding: Understanding just why you are experiencing specific emotions and thoughts and how those feelings affect you is something talk therapy is uniquely able to show a person. A major benefit of CBT is it allows individuals to put a name to their feelings and experiences and see just how their own mind works.
• Recognizing Source of Addiction: When individuals in addiction treatment use CBT, they routinely are able to discover the core issues prompting their substance abuse.

Similarly, they can identify and overcome triggers that may lead them down the path of substance abuse, thus laying the groundwork for relapse prevention.

Counseling Options at TruHealing Baltimore

Our team of counselors and therapists at TruHealing in Baltimore, Maryland use cognitive-behavioral therapy over all our levels of care, from our partial hospitalization program to our intensive outpatient program. However, it is not the only therapeutic approach we offer. Some of the other therapies we offer to clients include:

• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Expressive therapy
• Recreational therapy
• Trauma-focused therapy

These options allow us to provide customized and holistic treatment to clients. Reach out to us today at 833.782.2241 to learn more about our programs.