Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: CBT Techniques for Supportive Therapy and Perspective Shifts

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Written by: Rachel Forbes

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Value of CBT in Holistic Mental Health Care

Why CBT Still Belongs in Integrative Therapy

If you’ve found us here at Root & Return Wellness, you’re likely someone drawn to holistic and embodied care that does not merely focus on cognitive capacities and thinking. I get that. AND! Hear me out on this one, because I do believe that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) gets a bad rep, but actually holds a lot of value and contributes hugely to how we approach the healing process.

I’d also like to generally acknowledge that many therapeutic approaches overlap with one another and are undeniably inspired by one another. While Root & Return Wellness is an integrative therapy practice, where we integrate multiple modalities to best meet a client’s needs, here we’ll explore the famous CBT together. Perhaps we’ll even soften our judgment towards it.

How Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Can Support Perspective Shifts

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is actually one of the first frameworks I was introduced to as a client myself. Truth be told, upon initial introduction, I wasn’t fully sold, nor did I think it deeply resonated with what I needed at the time. However, over time, I came to realize how much more impactful it may have been than I originally assumed. Now, I am deeply appreciative of the possibilities it opens: the possibility of a different perspective and the possibility of rewiring one’s brain to remain open to a different perspective.

Understanding Cognitive Therapy, Behavioral Patterns, and Emotional Well-Being

When people hear Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), they accurately think of “positive versus negative thoughts,” as Aaron T. Beck, in the 1960s, discovered that his patients were experiencing “cognitive distortions” that were not always tied to their subconscious or rooted in repressed emotion. He noticed that people were experiencing maladaptive thought patterns that were disrupting their emotional state and well-being. He then discovered that people could also change those thought patterns, favorably influencing their emotional state and well-being. This method is also fueled by neuroplasticity, which is our brain’s neural pathways’ malleability permitting actual rewiring that is strengthened by repetition.

Why This Psychological Treatment Can Help Rewire Thought Patterns

That is pretty amazing in and of itself. The fact that a person’s brain can re-examine itself and then rewire itself is pretty wild if you ask me. What a gift we carry! In less science-y terms, what this really means is that we have a say in our perspective at any given moment. We hold agency in how we view ourselves, the world around us, and what’s right in front of us. When the question is posed, “is the glass half full or half empty?”, this is what they are referring to. Rather than “negative versus positive thoughts,” I like to call them “perspective shifts.” So, here is my invitation for you to consider the beauty of our ability to shift our perspective.

Therapy That Honors Complexity, Growth, and New Possibilities

I love a good perspective shift, because I also think it reminds us of the depth and breadth of this whole human experience. It reminds us that we are more creative, expansive, and growth-inclined than sometimes we remember. We are a complex, gorgeous, amalgamation of biology, genetics, spirit, experience, and pure existence. Opening up the possibility of a new perspective is its embodiment.

Is this always easy to do? No. Does it take a lot of practice? Yes. Does it mean we have to spiritually bypass all of the raw, real, and painful parts of life? No.

CBT Examples for Challenging Hurtful Thoughts

Here are some examples of pausing to examine a “negative” or “maladaptive” thought, to then invite in a new perspective:

Hurtful thought: I’m a failure.

New perspective: Just like all other human beings, I am always learning. It’s okay for me to make a mistake, and rather than it being reflective of me as a person, it is reflective of my capacity to grow.

Hurtful thought: Nobody wants to date me.

New perspective: It may take me some time to find a romantic partner, and that’s okay, as that process is intentional and deserves genuine care. I can explore within myself what my own emotional barriers may be, and I can also trust that the aligned person will want to date me. I deserve to date someone who wants to date me.

Hurtful thought: The world is always unsafe.

New perspective: There may be a lot of scary things in the world, much of which is out of my control, and, I can explore within myself what I need to feel safe, I can identify which communities I feel safe in, I can choose to nourish that which is in my control, and I can also practice noticing that which does feels safe, joyful, and beautiful in the world.

Working With a Therapist to Support Anxiety Disorder, Thought Patterns, and Change

These are just a few perspective shifts, and ones that also invite in the nuances within our humanity. At Root & Return Wellness, we do not believe that thoughts are just purely negative or just purely positive. We do believe that we are all somewhat the consequences of what we’ve been through, and we believe that some of the thoughts we carry can get trapped in scripts that are no longer applicable to the present day. Hence, the beauty of CBT, with which we can honor our humanity, while also compassionately challenging some of the beliefs we carry in a way that invites in new possibilities.

Please know that our neural pathways require a lot of repetition for new wiring to really strengthen. It’s simply like any muscle we’re trying to strengthen, we’ve got to work out!

H5: CULTIVATING CURIOSITY: What are the stories I tell myself? What are the beliefs I carry about myself and the world around me? When I notice a hurtful perspective, could I remain open to the possibility of a more compassionate perspective?

H3: Related Resources:

NHS — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/

Terms Defined

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A form of therapy that helps people notice the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, then practice shifting unhelpful thought patterns into more supportive perspectives.

CBT

The abbreviated term for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, often used to describe therapeutic work focused on identifying, challenging, and reshaping thought patterns.

Cognitive Distortions

Unhelpful or inaccurate thought patterns that can affect a person’s emotional state, sense of self, and interpretation of the world around them.

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to change, adapt, and form new neural pathways through repetition, practice, and new experiences.

Perspective Shifts

The practice of pausing to reconsider a hurtful or limiting thought and opening up to a more compassionate, balanced, or helpful way of seeing the situation.

Maladaptive Thought Patterns

Thought patterns that may have developed as a response to past experiences but no longer support a person’s present-day well-being or growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does CBT support mental health?

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, supports mental health by helping people notice how their thoughts and feelings connect to their actions, choices, and reactions. As a type of talk therapy, it can help people build coping skills, respond to difficult situations, and create more supportive patterns of thinking over time.

What is the difference between cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy refer to the same form of psychotherapy. The difference is spelling. Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used in American English, while cognitive behavioural therapy is commonly used in British English. Both describe a structured, goal oriented approach to psychotherapy.

How does CBT help with negative thought patterns?

CBT helps people recognize negative thoughts and explore whether those thoughts are accurate, helpful, or connected to older experiences. In therapy sessions, a therapist may help a client practice CBT techniques that support more balanced perspectives, healthier behavioral patterns, and improved emotional health.

Can CBT be used alongside holistic or integrative therapy?

Yes. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used alongside holistic or integrative therapy because many types of therapy can complement one another. For clients who want both practical tools and deeper emotional exploration, CBT may support the goal of CBT, which is to help people relate differently to unhelpful beliefs, reactions, and behaviors.

What are cognitive distortions?

Cognitive distortions are unhelpful ways of interpreting yourself, other people, or the world around you. In cognitive therapy, a mental health professional may help you notice these distortions, question them with care, and practice new responses that better support your mental health.

How does neuroplasticity relate to CBT?

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt and strengthen new pathways through repetition. This matters in CBT because practicing new CBT techniques over time can help clients build healthier coping skills, track progress over time, and support lasting change through a consistent course of therapy.

What does it mean to shift your perspective in therapy?

Shifting your perspective in therapy means pausing to look at a painful belief or reaction in a more compassionate, balanced way. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, clients can learn to question negative thoughts, explore their thoughts and feelings, and respond to life with more flexibility and self awareness.

How can CBT help with anxiety or an anxiety disorder?

CBT can help with anxiety or depression by giving clients tools to understand fear, worry, avoidance, and stress responses. For someone with an anxiety disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy may help them set goals, practice new responses, and gradually face difficult situations with support from a therapist.

What role does a therapist play in cognitive behavioral therapy?

A therapist helps guide the client through cognitive behavioral therapy in a structured, supportive way. This may include helping the client set goals, identify unhelpful beliefs, practice CBT techniques, and actively take part in their healing during and between therapy sessions.

How does CBT help identify behavioral patterns?

CBT helps clients notice behavioral patterns that may be connected to stress, fear, shame, avoidance, or past experiences. A psychologist, therapist, or other mental health professional may help the client understand what triggers certain reactions and develop healthier ways to respond.

Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy only about positive thinking?

No. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is not simply about replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. As a psychological treatment, CBT is more about curiosity, awareness, and practice. It helps people examine whether a belief is helpful, compassionate, realistic, or connected to an old survival response.

Why does CBT require repetition and practice?

CBT requires repetition because change often takes practice. Clients may be encouraged to keep a journal, practice new coping skills, and use CBT techniques between sessions. This helps strengthen new responses and allows clients to see progress over time through a limited number of sessions or a longer course of therapy.

What kinds of hurtful thoughts can CBT help challenge?

CBT can help challenge hurtful beliefs about failure, rejection, safety, worthiness, and relationships with other people. It may also support people living with a mental health condition, depression or anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, insomnia, or chronic pain when used as part of appropriate psychological therapy.

How can CBT support more compassionate self talk?

CBT can support more compassionate self talk by helping people notice harsh inner messages and gently question them. With support from a therapist, clients can practice CBT, build healthier patterns of thinking, and create responses that are more grounded, honest, and supportive of their emotional health.

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