Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of short-term psychotherapy that helps you identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors.  CBT works on the principle that by changing our thoughts we can also change our behavior.   When successful, CBT changes your present behaviors by changing the way you think, which in turn helps you control your emotional reactions to events and situations.  CBT teaches you new coping skills, including identifying and replacing harmful thought patterns and how to gain an understanding of the things that trigger problematic behaviors.  It can be effective for managing uncomplicated depression, anxiety or phobias and other conditions.  CBT therapy is more likely to help you with a specific and straight forward problem, by reducing specific, problematic behaviors or thoughts.  This differs from a more relational or exploratory approach, like psychoanalytic therapy, which focuses on your emotions, experiences and your relationships in order to resolve the underlying causes of the symptoms that brought you into therapy in the first place.

I utilize CBT approaches and appreciate its value in helping alleviate acute symptoms that are causing pain and distress.  CBT does not involve talking freely or focusing on the past to gain insight into your emotional state.  It deals with the present and seeks to find solutions and ways to change your current thoughts and behaviors.

CBT can also be used in conjunction with psychoanalytic therapy, which often, unlike CBT alone, can help you resolve the underlying issues that caused you the distress in the first place.