What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is an evidence-based psychotherapy that has been shown to be efficacious with certain clinical problems such as depression, eating disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and phobias. Research has found CBT to be as effective as medication, and is actually shown to be more effective long term after medication or therapy are discontinued.

CBT was developed as a short term type of treatment, lasting between 12-20 sessions, although some issues may be resolved in less sessions, or some clients choose to extend treatment beyond this time.

The basic ideas of CBT is that our thoughts, emotions and behaviors are inter-related. Different skills are used to understand and modify our cognitions (thoughts) and behaviors that may be keeping us stuck in negative or unhealthy patterns. While time in sessions is used to problem solve and actively address issues, the real change that you are going to experience is in your day to day life. Therefore, CBT incorporates activities for you to do in between sessions to support the work you are doing in therapy. This may involve things like trying out a new behavior, journaling on a particular topic, reading a relevant article, or testing a thought or belief you may have.

Our work will be solution focused, and we will revisit the goals for treatment to ensure we are making progress in the areas you are looking to improve. This type of treatment is also focused on the present and the challenges in your day to day life. While understanding the past is helpful to be able to identify patterns in thinking and behavior, the focus of our work will be in the present and the challenges you are facing now.