FAQ’s

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is the most widely researched form of all psychotherapies. It is one of the few forms of psychotherapy that has been scientifically tested and found to be highly effective in hundreds of clinical studies.

In study after study, it has been shown to be as effective as drugs in treating both depression and anxiety states. Results overwhelmingly support the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy with virtually all emotional problems and is the preferred treatment for such mental illnesses as:

• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Shyness and social anxiety
• Panic attacks and phobias
• Obsessive Compulsions Disorder
• Eating disorders
• Insomnia
• Difficulty establishing or staying in relationships
• Problems with existing marriage or other relationships
• Job, career or school difficulties
• Sexual problems
• Sexual and physical abuse
• Generalized anxiety (chronic worry)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Alcohol and addictions
• Shame and humiliation
• Occupational issues
• Anger, aggression and violence
• Psychosis and Schizophrenia
• Trouble controlling feelings such as sadness, fear, guilt, etc
• Hypochondriasis
• Over-inhibition of feelings or expression
• Survivors of disaster and trauma
• Personality disorders
• Childhood and adolescent problems
• Complications associated with ageing
• Other elderly problems
• Feeling “stressed out” or “stuck”
• General Health problems
• Low self-esteem (accepting or respecting yourself)
• Inadequate coping skills, or ill-chosen methods of coping
• Passivity, procrastination and “passive aggression”
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Chronic pain

Cognitive Behavior Therapy was developed to provide long term solutions to these, and other, mental illnesses. In this respect it has proven itself to be effective since midway through the twentieth century.

1. To help you relieve symptoms and resolve problems.
2. To help you acquire skills and coping strategies.
3. To help you modify underlying cognitive structures in order to prevent relapse.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a way of talking about the connections between how we think, how we feel and how we behave. It particularly concentrates on ideas that are unrealistic. These often undermine our self-confidence and make us feel depressed or anxious. Looking at these can help us work out different ways of thinking and behaving, that in turn will help us cope better. The basic premise of cognitive behavior therapy therefore, is that the way we think about events in our lives (cognitions) determines how we feel about them (emotions), which in turn influences how we react (behavior).

Cognitive Behavior Therapy also helps people to look at their “rules for living” called schemas. Schemas are cognitive structures or templates that organise how we think, feel, act, relate, and understand and are typically referred to as our personality style.  Schemas are outside of conscious awareness and determine how we interpret the world and respond to situations. Whilst cognitive structures can be adaptive, allowing us to process information rapidly, the same rapid processing can result in entrenched maladaptive structures.  This is because they are strong beliefs and assumptions about how we should live our lives, which we develop whilst we are growing up.

Simply put, the IDEA system is the way that CognImmune simplifies and integrates Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) into it’s training programs.

The IDEA System is based on the four following steps.

• Identify
• Define
• Explain
• Adjust

Identify – the distorted thoughts

Define – the distorted thoughts and the Cognitive Distortions behind them

Explain – to yourself what’s right and wrong about these distorted thoughts.

Adjust – your thoughts in order to counter those that are distorted.