What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a relatively short-term, hands-on, and solution-focused psychotherapy for a wide range of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, anger, sleep difficulties, marital conflict, fears, and addictions. In CBT, you will learn a set of techniques that you can apply whenever you need to, and that will last you a lifetime. The focus of therapy is on how you are thinking (your "cognitions"), behaving, and communicating today.
What are therapy sessions like?
Sessions will last between 50-60 minutes and occur weekly. Some other forms of therapy are unstructured, but in CBT, you and I will set an agenda for most of our meetings. The agenda might include a review of your experience in the previous session, your practice assignments, one or two current problems, a review of what you have accomplished in the session, and a discussion of practice work for the next week. Although it may be therapeutic to talk about difficulties, and some sessions will focus on just letting things off your chest, it is especially helpful and empowering to set goals to solve the specific problems. Thus, you and I will work together to understand what the problems are and to develop new strategies for tackling them.
Who decides about a treatment plan?
CBT embraces a collaborative approach. Although I have expertise in CBT and other forms of therapy, you know yourself and your life circumstances better than anyone else does. Thus, we will work together to develop a plan for therapy by setting and prioritizing your goals.
Will I be expected to do anything between the sessions?
If you went to a personal trainer at a health club, you would expect to get guidance on how to exercise even when the trainer is not there. The same principle is true in CBT. What you learn in therapy is what you practice outside of therapy on your own. Research demonstrates that clients who carry out practice assignments overcome their difficulties faster and maintain their longer. Your practice work might include keeping track of your mood, thoughts, and behaviors; scheduling activities; developing goals; challenging your negative thoughts; collecting information; changing the way you communicate with others; and other behavioral assignments. Most importantly, these tools and skills will stay with you for the rest of your life.
How effective is CBT?
Numerous studies have demonstrated that CBT is as effective as or more effective than other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications for depression, anxiety, obsessions, fears, and substance use problems. Furthermore, because clients learn independent skills in therapy, they are often able to maintain their improvement after therapy has been completed. Overall, CBT often leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.
How will I know if I am getting better?
You and I will identify specific goals at the beginning of therapy. You can modify the goals as we continue, and we would discuss any changes to our initial plan. I will ask you periodically to complete clinical assessment measures to monitor and evaluate your symptoms. This way, we will know when and how to adjust our treatment approach, and how well you are progressing toward your goals. You should also feel free to give me feedback on your progress, so we can better understand what works best for you.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a relatively short-term, hands-on, and solution-focused psychotherapy for a wide range of psychological problems, including depression, anxiety, anger, sleep difficulties, marital conflict, fears, and addictions. In CBT, you will learn a set of techniques that you can apply whenever you need to, and that will last you a lifetime. The focus of therapy is on how you are thinking (your "cognitions"), behaving, and communicating today.
What are therapy sessions like?
Sessions will last between 50-60 minutes and occur weekly. Some other forms of therapy are unstructured, but in CBT, you and I will set an agenda for most of our meetings. The agenda might include a review of your experience in the previous session, your practice assignments, one or two current problems, a review of what you have accomplished in the session, and a discussion of practice work for the next week. Although it may be therapeutic to talk about difficulties, and some sessions will focus on just letting things off your chest, it is especially helpful and empowering to set goals to solve the specific problems. Thus, you and I will work together to understand what the problems are and to develop new strategies for tackling them.
Who decides about a treatment plan?
CBT embraces a collaborative approach. Although I have expertise in CBT and other forms of therapy, you know yourself and your life circumstances better than anyone else does. Thus, we will work together to develop a plan for therapy by setting and prioritizing your goals.
Will I be expected to do anything between the sessions?
If you went to a personal trainer at a health club, you would expect to get guidance on how to exercise even when the trainer is not there. The same principle is true in CBT. What you learn in therapy is what you practice outside of therapy on your own. Research demonstrates that clients who carry out practice assignments overcome their difficulties faster and maintain their longer. Your practice work might include keeping track of your mood, thoughts, and behaviors; scheduling activities; developing goals; challenging your negative thoughts; collecting information; changing the way you communicate with others; and other behavioral assignments. Most importantly, these tools and skills will stay with you for the rest of your life.
How effective is CBT?
Numerous studies have demonstrated that CBT is as effective as or more effective than other forms of psychological therapy or psychiatric medications for depression, anxiety, obsessions, fears, and substance use problems. Furthermore, because clients learn independent skills in therapy, they are often able to maintain their improvement after therapy has been completed. Overall, CBT often leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.
How will I know if I am getting better?
You and I will identify specific goals at the beginning of therapy. You can modify the goals as we continue, and we would discuss any changes to our initial plan. I will ask you periodically to complete clinical assessment measures to monitor and evaluate your symptoms. This way, we will know when and how to adjust our treatment approach, and how well you are progressing toward your goals. You should also feel free to give me feedback on your progress, so we can better understand what works best for you.