Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment which helps clients understand how their thoughts and feelings influence their behaviors.  CBT is short-term and focused on helping clients heal from very specific problems by changing their thinking patterns. During the course of treatment, clients learn how to identify and change destructive and disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on their behaviors.  Positive replacement thoughts are practiced first in session and then assigned as “homework” between each session.  During the time between therapy sessions, the client is also encouraged to practice certain behaviors which help alleviate the presenting problem.  

What Kind of Problems Does CBT Treat? 

• Depression

• Anxiety, including specific phobias

• Alcohol, drug, gambling, shopping and sex addictions

• Eating Disorders

• More severe mental illness, such as psychosis

CBT is very popular with mental health practitioners due to the extensive data showing the efficacy of CBT.  There is an enormity of data proving CBT’s worth in treating many presenting problems, especially anxiety and depression, so it’s become a gold standard of psychotherapy.