Terminology ...

Hi Dr. Hubbard. Great to see you here on the Doctors' Corner.

I have two questions about terminology.

First, what is the difference between Cognitive Restructuring Therapy and CBT?

And second, I have noticed that you refer to CBT as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, while a number of others refer to it as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Any insight into the origin of the difference of opinion?

Thanks so much.

Stephen Nagler

 

Thank you Dr. Nagler. I am honored to be among such esteemed company in the Doctors’ Corner! And thank you for bringing to light this common confusion over the many faces of CBT.

The easy part: There is absolutely no difference between the terms "CBT", "Cognitive Behavior Therapy" and "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy."

The tricky part: There are important differences in the how CBT is practiced by each clinician. A prospective patient should ask the practitioner to describe exactly what they'll be getting in their treatment. CBT should consist of a balance of cognitive and behavioral strategies. A therapist who only offers cognitive strategies, or only offers behavioral strategies, is not truly doing CBT.

Cognitive techniques center around "cognitive restructuring" - sometimes called "Cognitive Therapy". This consists of changing your beliefs and how you talk to yourself about the problem. Behavioral techniques include relaxation training (reducing stress by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system), behavioral activation (coaching you to get moving in valued directions), and exposure (promoting desensitization & habituation by directly facing fears).

If you're lucky, the therapist will also practice the most up-to-date form of CBT, which includes "acceptance" (being clear on what can and can't change about the problem) and "mindfulness" (softening your experiential response to the problem).

Hope that helps!

Sincerely,

Dr. Hubbard