Can You Perform CBT Therapy on Yourself
When you visit a therapist it is often because you need help with an emotional or mental issue. Maybe you are feeling depressed, anxious, angry, etc. And while I am here to help you, my job isn’t to heal you, nor could I do that even if I tried.
This is sometimes misunderstood in therapy. Therapists help you realize the frustrations or emotional barriers and help you find a way to understand and accept them. Everything else is done by you. You are the one who will learn the techniques to deal with upcoming negativity and you are the one who has to deal with it.
I am here to listen to you in a safe environment without judgment and to teach you the skills you need. So, with that being said, could you do all of that on your own? Without a therapist?
When Do You Need CBT Therapy
CBT therapy can help with many issues and it revolves around the fact that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour are all connected. It isn’t about digging up the past and resolving hidden issues, although that could be done if you wanted to. No, CBT is about learning the skills to address real-life problems, to get through the day filled with as much positivity as possible.
Naturally, if you don’t think you can hold yourself accountable, you should definitely contact a therapist. However, if you can be self-disciplined and you love to be self-thaught, then you could perform CBT therapy on yourself.
How to Perform CBT on Yourself
The thing with CBT therapy, or any therapy for that matter, is that I tailor it specifically for each patient. Therefore, it is almost impossible for me to give you an honest guide that you could follow and after a few months heal yourself from your troubles.
CBT is a long process, and if you plan to perform it yourself, it will be even longer. Because my advice is that you educate yourself deeply on what CBT is and how to perform it. Once you understand the therapy and techniques, with a little will and self-discipline, you can perform it on yourself.
In fact, exactly because each therapy is tailored differently, you can tailor the therapy for yourself better than anyone. Provided you know what to look for and you are self-conscious enough.
The latter is maybe the most important. If you can’t truly and honestly assess your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, you will have a difficult time applying any therapy to yourself. Simply because there won’t be anyone to tell you if you are being dishonest.
Finally, you have to educate yourself, actually, that is the first step you need to take. The more you understand CBT therapy and your own mind, the faster and more efficient your mind will be able to heal. I would suggest a list of books approved by the Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies as a good starting point for your self-learning journey.
What To Do When Self CBT Doesn’t Work?
If you try to apply CBT on yourself and you see little to no improvement even after a few months, don’t give to despair. Healing emotional issues is much harder than it may seem, even though it seems common sense when you are feeling better.
When you see your efforts don’t produce results, you can always contact me here or call me on 086 3835910 and I will help you in the best way I can.
