Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that helps identify how beliefs and thoughts influence feelings and behaviors (and vice versa).
CBT is grounded in the idea that a person’s perception of events – rather than the events themselves – determines how they will feel and act in response. Likewise, a person may detect a bodily sensation, then have faulty secondary beliefs about the sensory experience (such as in panic or health anxiety), leading to exacerbated sensations, feelings, and thoughts.
With CBT, you’ll be able to define, evaluate, and adjust thoughts that directly influence your emotions and behavior. Studies have shown that changing the way we think can develop new neural pathways in the brain.
Some CBT techniques:
- Challenging beliefs
- Radical acceptance
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Mindfulness
- Social, physical, and thinking exercises
- Journaling
- Behavioral experiments at home
Cognitive behavioral therapy is more than just talking about whatever comes to mind during a session. CBT sessions are structured to ensure that the therapist and client are focused on specific goals of each session, which the client sets. This ensure that each session is productive.
If you would like to learn more about how CBT can help you or someone you love, contact me for a complimentary consultation.