What are the four elements common to all CBT models?
CBT is a treatment approach that provides us with a way of understanding our experience of the world, enabling us to make changes if we need to. It does this by dividing our experience into four central components: thoughts (cognitions), feelings (emotions), behaviors and physiology (your biology). The CBT triangle, or cognitive triangle, is a tool used by therapists and others to teach the concept of changing negative patterns of thought. The points of the triangle show how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. By changing one of these three points, you can change the others for the better. The cognitive distortions are often discussed in CBT so that the clients can identify their negative thought patterns. Once identified, together with the therapist, the individual learns to approach situations with more realistic thinking, rather than reaching for those negative automatic thoughts. The ABC (antecedents, behavior, consequences) model is a main component of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). 1 It is based on the idea that emotions and behaviors are not determined by external events but by our beliefs about them. The 5Ps is however commonly associated with the CBT model, in line with Johnstone and Dallos (2014). Therefore, for our example, I will use this Biopsychosocial idea and draw on a range of different underpinning approaches, however coming predominantly from a CBT perspective.