Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered the cornerstone of evidence-based treatment to improve mental health outcomes. CBT has been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of a variety of mental health concerns. Research shows that individuals treated with CBT experience significant improvements in their symptoms, particularly depression and anxiety.

CBT may be helpful if:
– You feel sad and overwhelmed
– Your anger is negatively impacting your relationships with others and yourself
– You struggle with low self-esteem and feelings of self-defeat or helplessness
– Your anxiety is overwhelming and is affecting your ability to function or connect with others
– You want to have a better outlook and positive feelings in your life.

If you can identify with any of these things, you are not alone. Adverse childhood experiences, chaos, uncertainty, and dysfunctional relationships impact the lens through which we view the world. This impacts how we function within our environments and relationships. Millions of people have similar experiences and have experienced relief through the development of cognitive challenging and reframing skills.

The basic premise of CBT is that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. People can alter the way they feel, and consequently their behavior, if they can change the way they think. Therapists using CBT assist their clients in identifying the distortions in their thoughts, and replacing them with more adaptive thoughts and behaviors using techniques that work for the client. These may include journaling, role-playing, distraction exercises and/or keeping track of “automatic thoughts” and using an “active pause” to identify and respond differently to thinking errors. Frequently, in a few sessions, CBT methods provide clients with a better understanding of their internal dialogue, and results in more adaptive emotional and behavioral responses to life events. This often translates into improvements in one’s emotional experience and a more empathetic and compassionate self-image.