Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most researched and effective forms of psychotherapy. It's based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and that by changing unhelpful thought patterns, we can change how we feel and act.

CBT is practical and focused. Rather than spending months exploring your past, we work on understanding what's maintaining your difficulties right now and develop concrete strategies to address them.

How CBT Works

CBT helps you become aware of the automatic thoughts that influence your mood and behavior. These thoughts often happen so quickly we don't notice them, but they shape how we interpret situations and respond to them.

For example, if you think "I'll definitely mess this up" before a presentation, you'll likely feel anxious and may avoid eye contact or rush through your points. CBT helps you identify these patterns, evaluate whether they're accurate or helpful, and develop more balanced ways of thinking.

But CBT isn't just about thinking differently. It also involves behavioral changes. This might include gradually facing situations you've been avoiding, testing out new ways of responding, or building habits that support your wellbeing.

What CBT Helps With

• Anxiety disorders - Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias
• Depression - Breaking cycles of negative thinking and withdrawal
• Stress and overwhelm - Developing coping strategies and perspective
• Low self-esteem - Challenging self-critical thoughts
• Perfectionism - Learning to set realistic standards
• Sleep problems - CBT for insomnia is highly effective
• Anger management - Understanding triggers and developing responses

What Sessions Look Like

CBT is collaborative. We work together to understand your specific patterns and what maintains them. Sessions typically involve:

• Discussing situations that triggered difficult feelings
• Identifying the thoughts and beliefs involved
• Examining evidence for and against these thoughts
• Developing more balanced perspectives
• Planning behavioral experiments or gradual exposure
• Practicing new skills between sessions

Homework is an important part of CBT. What we discuss in sessions needs to be practiced in real life to create lasting change. This might include thought records, behavioral experiments, or practicing new responses in challenging situations.

Is CBT Right for You?

CBT tends to work well for people who appreciate a structured, practical approach. It's particularly effective when you can identify specific problems you want to address and are willing to actively engage between sessions.

That said, I often integrate CBT with other approaches depending on what you need. If deeper patterns from your past are affecting your present, we might combine CBT with schema therapy. If you're dealing with trauma, EMDR might be more appropriate. We'll find what works for you.