Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Therapy seeks to alleviate psychological stress
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how our thoughts influence our feelings and our behaviors. My job is to help clients understand that it is often the meaning they give to events that causes them stress rather than the events themselves. These meanings stem from their interpretation of experiences in life. Helping clients identify their negative/anxious thoughts and beliefs about themselves, others, and the world around them in a guided and structured way is the beginning of our work together.
“Cognitive Therapy seeks to alleviate psychological stresses by correcting faulty conceptions. By correcting erroneous beliefs we can lower excessive reactions.” Aaron T. Beck (founder of Cognitive Therapy)
Through the use of guided discovery we will explore the interconnections of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, physical responses and situations.
Our goal is to:
- Bring automatic thoughts (thoughts that just “pop up”) into awareness
- Examine thoughts for distortions
- Develop more balanced thoughts that lead to improved mood, flexible thinking, and better problem solving
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is one type of CBT for the treatment of OCD. It involves changing your perspective on avoidance, the maintainer of OCD. Exposing yourself to the thought, image, object or situation that makes you anxious, noticing the urge and moving from delaying the compulsive ritual, to resisting the ritual, to finally doing the opposite, is the basics of treatment. It involves being uncomfortable on purpose and playing offense instead of defense. My work with clients is always collaborative.