(2019-07-19) What Is Third Wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

What is Third Wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy? The “first wave” of behavioral therapies were characterized by behaviorism (i.e., operant conditioning, classical conditioning). Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck pioneered the “second wave” of behavioral therapies with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which integrated a person’s thoughts and beliefs in understanding and changing behavior and emotional experiences such as depression.

“Third wave” cognitive behavioral therapies are a group of emerging approaches to psychotherapy that represent an evolution and extension of traditional cognitive behavioral treatment approaches.

Third wave therapies prioritize the holistic promotion of psychological and behavioral processes associated with health and well-being over the reduction or elimination of psychological and emotional symptoms, although that typically is a “side-benefit.” Concepts such as metacognition, acceptance, mindfulness, personal values, and spirituality are frequently incorporated into what might otherwise be considered traditional behavioral interventions.

Rather than focusing on the content of a person’s thoughts and internal experiences, third wave behavioral therapists are instead more focused on the context, processes, and functions of how a person relates to internal experiences (i.e., thoughts, urges, sensations)

Commonly Used Therapeutic Approaches

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

Attachment-Based Therapy

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Christian Counseling

DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
Feel like your emotions go from 0 to 100? DBT gives you tools to manage intense emotions, navigate relationships, and find balance—without losing what makes you, you.

EFT ([[Emotion-Focused Therapy]])
EFT helps individuals and couples better understand their emotional world so they can connect more deeply and move through stuck places.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR helps your brain heal from trauma by reprocessing distressing memories in a safe and structured way.

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention)
Avoidance gives anxiety power. ERP gently guides you to face your fears in a safe, supported way—without falling into the same old compulsive loops.

Experiential Therapy
gets you out of your head and into experiences—like role play, art, or movement—to help you access insight and healing.

Family Systems & Internal Family Systems (IFS)
this approach helps you make sense of complex dynamics.

Mindfulness is a state of open, flexible attention on the present moment. When you’re in a state of mindfulness, you are in a state of observation of your internal experiences. You observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judgment, and without intervening or controlling them.