Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, problem-focused approach that has proven to be effective for a wide range of issues. A fundamental understanding underlying CBT is that it is your interpretation of events – rather than the events themselves – that determines how you feel and act in response.
In CBT, you learn a set of practical tools to examine and shift how you're thinking and what you're doing in certain situations, so you can feel better and move forward in your life. This means our work during sessions is typically very focused, and you leave with a clear idea of what you are practicing and trying between sessions. Then we troubleshoot and tweak what you've tried, to make it work even better for you. If for some reason what you tried first just doesn't seem to be effective for you, we move on to a different technique or tool - there are many to choose from.
We work together so that you finish therapy feeling better, and also knowing exactly what you did to get there, so you are confident in how to help yourself continue to feel well going forward.
CBT can help with:
- Depression and emotion regulation
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Social anxiety
- Phobias (such as public speaking, flying, medical procedures)
- Body-focused repetitive behaviors
- Communication in relationships
- Procrastination and productivity
- Building self-esteem
Common CBT techniques include:
- Identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts and beliefs
- Specific breathing and relaxation practices
- Making a step-by-step plan to equip you with tools that allow you to face and overcome your fears
- Journaling and tracking progress
- Learning to schedule and prioritize to stay on track
- Practicing how to assert yourself and communicate more effectively
- Mindfulness and guided imagery
- Bibliotherapy (reading that complements the work in session)