Cognitive-behavioural therapy: An information guide - CAMH ...

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4 CBT approaches to
behavioural change
So far, we have focused on the “C” of cbt, which refers to changing
the cognitive aspects, or thinking, that can lead to emotional distress.
We now move on to the “B” in cbt, which refers to changing
the behaviours that can worsen and prolong negative moods.
Changes in thinking and behaviours go hand in hand: When you
change the way you think about a situation or problem, your behaviours
may also change. The reverse is also true: When you change
how you approach a situation or problem, you may come to think
differently about it. For instance, if you smoke, and some new
information leads you to believe that smoking is more dangerous
to your health than you once thought, this may lead you to quit
smoking (i.e., cognitive change leads to behavioural change). Or, to
turn it around, if you go for a week without smoking because you
are sick or unable to smoke, it could lead you to think, “If I can go
a week without smoking, maybe I could go a month.” This thinking
could lead to a new behavioural goal of trying to quit smoking
for a month (i.e., behavioural change leads to cognitive change).
CBT uses a variety of behavioural methods and strategies to reduce
your distress, which are introduced on the following pages.