# Cbt = talk therapy?



## Cardiology (Feb 11, 2009)

Hey guys just wondering if "talk therapy" is a form of CBT?

Thanks guys!


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## sadie08 (Sep 17, 2008)

I may not have the technical answer here but my initial thought is..."No" it is not the same but that doesn't mean it can't be a part of it at all.

Talk therapy is normally just talking through your issues and trying to get to the bottom of why you feel that way, like something happened in your childhood, or whatever. You can really end up going in circles even with a therapist and really waste a lot of time in my experience, but that's just me maybe. I think talk therapy can be good, with the right therapist, to increase overall self awareness and growth but for SA - stick with true CBT in my opinion. Doesn't mean things won't come up throughout that you need to talk out, but the core aspects of CBT are what will really help you CHANGE the way you view the world and yourself.


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## arth67 (Aug 6, 2009)

I think talk therapy can be helpful if the therapist talks back and tries to help with your actual problems, rather than probing for some hidden subconscious cause
so if the therapist just sits and listens and never says anything helpful, I wouldnt bother going back

you can ask a potential therapist, do you give advice?
do you do role playing, that is practising social situations


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## arth67 (Aug 6, 2009)

CBt means someone teaches you new ways of coping with SA and often includes role playing between you and the therapist, so it helps if the therapist is socially well adjusted which some arent

also it means getting constructive criticism from the therapist, remember some therapists are trained to not give any advice

so you need to get a suitable therapist, obviously:idea

IMO searching for hidden subconscious "causes" of SA is a waste of time and money


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## Dolly (Jun 6, 2009)

When my therapist and I do CBT, we work on minimizing my fears, since I tend to over-exaggerate the real magnitude of my problems (an awkward situation at the grocery store turns into an impending world war in my brain). Instead of me just venting my feelings (which I think is what "talk therapy" is), my therapist will ask me "what if" questions that help me see how I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Like the other commenters said too, we do role playing and other exercises to help me specifically address my social anxiety issues. Talk therapy is definitely helpful, but I don't know if I would say it's a part of CBT, since you're not really doing anything to alter your daily perceptions or the way you process things in your head.


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## Pam (Feb 14, 2009)

"Talk therapy" refers to psychotherapy, rather than medical/drug treatments. All of the different psychotherapeutic schools of thought (CBT being just one, psychoanalysis another, etc) are all considered "talk therapy". 

The phrase originally came about when Freud happened to supposedly cure a patient of conversion disorder, I think it was, just by having her talk to him about emotional stuff. He gave her no medicine and didn't medically do anything to her. They called it "talk" therapy.

Another way of saying it is:

"Talk therapy" is to "dog"... as "CBT" is to "breed."


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## britisharrow (Jun 18, 2009)

CBT may be used within Talk Therapy.

Talk Therapy in itself combines a range of techniques, more like guided counselling towards greater well being, one of these techniques may be CBT.

CBT in itself is essentially taking beliefs, and looking at the evidence for and against them, the idea is (and it's worked for many people to varying extents) that you begin rationalise your fears.


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