COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY VS DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy vs Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy are two very popular modalities used in psychotherapy. They are two of the best methods that psychotherapists use to help heal and manage clients mental health. Both of these methods are cognitive behaviour therapies that can help heal destructive behaviors.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy otherwise known as CBT is talk therapy that teaches us how to deal with problems. It basically changes the way we generally behave as well as our thoughts and ultimately, it changes our perspective. Well, if you are suffering from depression and anxiety, this method will be very helpful for you.

It is a fact that our feelings, actions, thoughts, and physical sensations are interconnected and it can be easily affected by negative thoughts. CBT breaks down the problem into tiny parts and helps us to get rid of problems. Another interesting aspect of CBT is that it deals with your present problems instead of focusing on your past issues.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Dialectical behaviour therapy which is also known as DBT is a part of cognitive behavioural therapy. The main objective of this therapy is to teach us how to make a strong relationship with others. Along with it, it also teaches how we can cope with the problems, regulate our emotions and live in the present. This therapy was particularly intended for people suffering from borderline personality disorder, also known as BPD.

Only cognitive behavioural therapy alone cannot heal people suffering from BPD. Therefore, Marsha Linehan discovered a new technique based on dialectics which is a philosophical process. According to this, everything has an opposing force and when opposing force becomes stronger, changes occur. It has some academic terms such as antithesis, synthesis, and thesis.

DBT teaches four behavioural skills which are: Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Distress Tolerance.

Differences between Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

There is a common question that comes up “Does cognitive behavioural therapy work”? Well, now that we know the difference between cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behavioural therapy, you will come to know that CBT is not useful for all kinds of mental disorders and this is why DBT was developed later on. Although dialectical behaviour therapy is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy, there are certain differences between these two and these are elaborated below:

• Implemented For Different Reasons: CBT can be highly effective when the problem is inextricably related to depression as well as anxiety. It also helps clients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, sleep issues, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder. On the other side, DBT is implemented when the client is suffering from behavioural problems. It helps them to change their behavioural patterns. This technique is also very effective for those who are suffering from sexual trauma.

• Different Philosophies Are Used: CBT follows the Socratic Method which is based on reason and fact. CBT sees the problems from a very logical point of view and on the other side, DBT uses different philosophies. DBT completely depends upon mindfulness skills and Zen as well as Buddhists used to practice this method in the past. DBT teaches several mindfulness techniques.

So, if you are would like to know more information on CBT or DBT and to know which one may be right for you contact Vaughan Counselling & Psychotherapy today for a FREE 15-minute consultation http://vaughanpsychotherapist.com or give us a call 647-267-9853.