Breaking Unhelpful Patterns with CBT Therapy

Do you ever feel trapped or overwhelmed by your thoughts?

Maybe a small mistake loops in your head all day, and leaves you feeling depressed.  Or maybe you find yourself consumed by the worst-case scenario in life, leading to increased anxiety.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers a way out of these painful and exhausting patterns.

 What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is an evidence-based, structured, goal-oriented therapy based on the premise that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all connected.  

When you experience a life event, it isn't just the event itself that determines how you feel, but also what you tell yourself about that event.  CBT helps you identify those automatic, unhelpful stories so you can reclaim control over your emotional reactions and behaviors.

Understanding Your Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors

To understand how CBT works, think of your mind as a triangle where the three points influence one another:

  • Your Thoughts: The automatic interpretations and "inner commentary" you have about yourself and the world.

  • Your Emotions: The feelings—like anxiety, sadness, or anger—that get triggered by those thoughts.

  • Your Behaviors: The actions you take (or avoid taking) in response to those thoughts or emotions, such as isolating yourself, procrastinating, or people-pleasing.

When you are struggling, these three points interact in unhelpful ways. For example, a thought like "I'm going to fail" triggers the emotion of anxiety, which leads to the behavior of avoiding the task.  Avoiding the task then often leads to more negative thoughts about yourself.  The goal of CBT is to break this loop.

How CBT Helps You Heal

In our virtual CBT sessions together, we will work collaboratively to help you:

  1. Identify Automatic Thoughts: Learn to notice the "cognitive distortions" that influence how you see the world.

  2. Challenge the Narrative: Examine the evidence for your thoughts to see if they are actually true or habitual ways of thinking.

  3. Change Your Actions: Experiment with new, healthier behaviors and coping strategies that naturally lift your mood and reduce stress.

We will work to help you build skills and create a “toolkit” that you can use as you navigate life.  

Click here for more information on CBT.

To learn more about how CBT could help you on your therapeutic journey contact me or book a free 15-minute phone consultation.