Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely recognized and evidence-based approaches to treating various mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and OCD. However, traditional CBT has undergone significant changes, leading to the development of various other CBT-based psychotherapy approaches. One such new and unique approach is Inference Based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (I-CBT). In this article, we are going to differentiate between traditional CBT and I-CBT
Understanding Traditional Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
CBT was invented by Aaron Beck in the 1960s. This approach is based on the assumption that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are interconnected, so changing or modifying our thoughts can lead to changes in feelings and behaviours as well. Thus, traditional CBT focuses on helping people identify unhelpful thought patterns and also teaching them to replace these negative patterns with more helpful or functional thoughts. Sometimes CBT also encourages people to make behavioural changes, so that their feelings change automatically. Some key techniques in CBT are:
- Cognitive Restructuring: This is the process of identifying and challenging irrational or unhelpful thinking patterns and replacing them with more realistic and helpful thoughts.
- Exposure- Sometimes, people might be gradually exposed to the situation or object they fear. This is particularly helpful in cases of anxiety, phobias and OCD.
- Behavioural Activation: This technique is particularly used in the treatment of depression and it involves deliberately encouraging people to engage in activities they enjoy or find meaningful so that their mood improves
- Mood Tracking: This is a technique that helps people become more aware of how their thoughts impact their feelings.
Thus, CBT helps people not only to identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns, but it also encourages them to engage in positive activities that improve mood.
Understanding Inference Based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT)
ICBT is a comparatively newer form of CBT specifically designed to treat OCD. Unlike traditional CBT, which focuses on identifying and challenging intrusive thoughts, I-CBT goes deeper and looks at the origin or the reasons for obsessions or intrusive thoughts. So, ICBT focuses on helping people identify and correct faulty thought processes that are contributing to their obsessions.
According to ICBT, obsessions emerge when people are confused between possibility and actual real-life evidence. This confusion between imagined possibility and reality is known as inferential confusion. Thus, ICBT focuses on helping people resolve dysfunctional thought processes that are the basis of their obsessions. Key techniques of ICBT are:
- Identifying OCD-related obsessions
- Understanding the process by which doubts are formed
- Interrupting doubt sequences before they are formed
- Challenging negative inferences by comparing them against reality
- Using the five senses to be in touch with reality
Thus, ICBT helps people with OCD by targeting the root cause of their obsessions and compulsions—inferential confusion. By correcting the faulty reasoning process, people can reduce the frequency and intensity of their obsessions and compulsions.
How Do They Differ?
Let’s look at the table to understand the difference
| Aspect | CBT | ICBT |
| View Of Obsessions | CBT believes that obsessions are caused by misinterpretation of common intrusive thoughts | ICBT believes that intrusive thoughts are caused by faulty reasoning patterns |
| Aim | CBT aims to change the content of intrusive thoughts | ICBT aims to change the faulty thought process that leads to obsessions. |
| Exposure | May involve exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli, depending on the situation | It is cognitive in nature without requiring any exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli. |
| Application | CBT can be used to treat various conditions, such as anxiety, depression and OCD | ICBT is specifically used only in the treatment of OCD. It’s application to other conditions is yet to be tested. |
Conclusion:
Both traditional CBT and ICBT are effective treatments, especially when it comes to treating OCD. However, the best approach depends on a person’s unique needs and comfort. While traditional CBT is applicable across various conditions, ICBT is only beneficial in the treatment of OCD, making traditional CBT a much more comprehensive approach among the two.
References:
- Aardema, F. (n.d.). What is I-CBT? Inference-Based Cognitive-Behavorial Therapy. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://icbt.online/what-is-icbt/
- CBT for OCD: How It Works, Examples & Effectiveness. (n.d.). ChoosingTherapy.Com. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/cbt-for-ocd/
- I-CBT for Overcoming OCD: What You Need to Know—Weston Family Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://westonfamilypsychology.com/blog/i-cbt-for-overcoming-ocd-what-you-need-to-know/
- Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT): How it Works, Examples, & Effectiveness. (n.d.). ChoosingTherapy.Com. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.choosingtherapy.com/icbt/
