Which therapy focuses on developing a person’s coping strategies to manage stress?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is centered around helping individuals develop effective coping strategies to manage stress and navigate challenges in their lives. It operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and by modifying dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors, a person can achieve more positive emotional states and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

CBT empowers individuals to identify and challenge negative thought patterns, allowing them to reframe their thinking and develop practical skills to cope with stressors in a more effective manner. Techniques such as problem-solving, cognitive restructuring, and exposure therapy are commonly used to help individuals manage anxiety and stress. This focus on practical skills and coping strategies makes CBT particularly effective for those seeking to improve their ability to handle stress.

In contrast, supportive therapy typically provides emotional support, psychodynamic therapy delves into unconscious processes and past experiences, and transactional analysis examines social transactions and communication patterns. While these approaches may indirectly aid in stress management, they do not focus primarily on developing specific coping strategies in the way that CBT does.