How Long Does CBT Take to Work?
When people are experiencing any kind of mental distress, they are often looking for a quick, immediate cure. After all, distress is uncomfortable, right? It makes sense why someone would want an instant solution to reducing mental health distress; our brains are designed to keep us as far away from discomfort as possible as a survival mechanism.
Our brains are where all of our survival instincts live, and any notion that we are experiencing pain (physical or mental), signals to the most primitive parts of our brain that we may be in potential danger and in need of safety. As our brains have evolved, however, we have developed parts of our brain that recognize that pain and discomfort is not always an immediate safety issue and that, in fact, some of those feelings are necessary to allow us to build resilience, grit, and determination. This is a delicate balance that we all must learn in order to help us to succeed in life and also receive help when it’s necessary to do so.
That’s why many people, when they feel their mental pain and distress is more than they can handle, seek out mental health treatments to try to alleviate their symptoms. There are many types of therapy treatments that people can use to help them, but one of the most evidence-based treatment modalities for a variety of mental health conditions is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT for short. CBT is an evidence-based approach that involves collaborating with a therapist to identify unhelpful thought patterns, challenge them, and develop healthier perspectives. This process can be highly effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mood-related disorders.
Unlike some other more long-term types of therapy, CBT is commonly referred to as a short-term treatment due to its effectiveness in a short amount of time. While there is no standard length of treatment someone must undergo before they experience benefits, most CBT treatment cycles are somewhere between 6 to 20 sessions (usually 30-60 minutes long per session) for a patient to experience the total benefit of CBT treatment.
The question of how long it takes for CBT to work, however, is very patient-dependent. Some patients see improvement in their symptoms in several sessions while others need longer to be able to experience the benefits. The reason for this is that everyone comes in with different levels of problem severity, ability to understand and apply the information provided to them, and many other factors.
CBT is more likely to work if the person seeking treatment is an active, engaged participant who has a trusted relationship with the therapist they are working with. Research continues to show that one of the best indicators of therapy success is whether or not a person has developed a strong bond, or rapport, with their therapist. When a patient trusts their therapist, it allows them the opportunity to be open to the therapeutic process, vulnerable when describing their thoughts and feelings, and often causes them to be more willing to try things suggested by a therapist than if they are skeptical about whether or not these interventions will be effective. It takes courage to step into the therapy process, and even more dedication to opening up to do the work, but most people find that once they do those things, their symptoms begin to gradually improve over time.
Like most things, the effectiveness of CBT treatment depends on the changes a person makes to improve their lives based on the information provided to them by a CBT expert. CBT is a wonderful treatment program because it provides a patient with tools they can use on their own, in their own mind, throughout their day to actively redirect their thought process to more helpful ones while using relaxation and coping skills to manage when that redirection is difficult. This process takes some time to learn how to do, some effort to learn how to do it comfortably, and some trust in the therapeutic process and your therapist.
All in all, if you are wondering how long CBT might take to work for you, the best way to identify that is to simply get started with a trusted therapist and begin the process!