Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological treatment used for a wide range of issues that may be negatively impacting one’s quality of life.  This therapy focuses on increased awareness and modifying unhelpful thoughts, behaviors and beliefs.  CBT can also help with managing emotions and creating effective coping skills.

CBT therapists emphasize what is going on in the person’s current life, rather than what has led up to their difficulties.  While information about one’s history is important, CBT focuses primarily on finding new ways to move forward and developing effective strategies for coping with life’s many challenges.

CBT can help with the following:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Managing emotions
• Build coping and resiliency skills
• Family or relationship challenges
• Work-life balance and stressors
• Trauma or abuse
• Phobias
• Obsessive or compulsive behaviors
• Substance dependency or addictions

With CBT, you will work on adjusting the thoughts that directly influence your emotions and behavioral choices.  This adjustment process is referred to as cognitive restructuring, which happens through various CBT techniques.

Some effective CBT techniques include:

• Mindfulness
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Problem-solving skills
• Exposure therapy
• Relapse prevention
• Challenging unhelpful, learned behaviors or beliefs