14 Feb What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
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Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a common and effective tool for treating autism. It alters the person’s mindset and behavior to reduce anxiety and stress while encouraging healthy habit building.
In this video, clinical psychologist and researcher Dr. Amelia Aldao breaks CBT down into four basic components.
What We Learned from this Video:
- CBT is made up of four core principles:
- Collaborative empiricism: The therapist and client working together to understand the client’s symptoms, progress and needed treatments. CBT is less about directing the client, and more about teaching the client to direct themselves.
- Cognitive flexibility: The therapist teaches the client to think about things differently, stepping back to analyze anxious thoughts and determining whether or not they are realistic.
- Behavioral exercises: The client learns to try different behaviors or activities they are anxious about in different situations and around different people. This helps to reduce the anxiety they feel as they become more accustomed to it.
- Homework practice: Working on cognitive and behavioral exercises outside of therapy sessions helps cement clients’ progress.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy is an excellent treatment for people on the spectrum. You can learn more about this and other types of therapy by exploring our free video library.