I believe that it is not the situation we find ourselves in that distresses us, but rather the way we think about the situation. The basis of CBT is just that – the way we feel and behave is influenced by the way we think about things. CBT aims to identify unhelpful ways of thinking and replace them with thinking that is more flexible and useful to us. It’s not just thinking positively but rather learning to think in ways that lead us to feeling better and having better relationships with others.
Problem solving is a systematic, common sense way of sorting out problems and difficulties. I believe that if a person can learn to problem solve easily, s/he can lessen his/her mental health symptoms and feel better. In problem solving treatment, the therapist explains the details of the treatment and provides encouragement and support. The ideas, plans and action however come from you the client. Problem solving skills will not only be useful to you now, but can also help you when future problems arise.
Regardless of our beliefs, spirituality often plays a role in the way we think and feel about things. In addition to discussing physical and emotional concerns that impact day to day functioning, it may be important to discuss and understand how your spiritual beliefs impact the way you think about and understand the world around you. Remember how you feel and behave is very much linked to how you think. What you think is related to what you believe. As such discussing spiritual matters can be as important as discussing emotions.