Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Change patterns that are keeping you stuck.
CBT helps you stop struggling against difficult thoughts and feelings, instead learning to make room for them while moving toward what matters most to you. Rather than waiting to feel better before living better, you'll learn to pursue meaningful action even when life is hard.
How CBT Works
CBT is a structured, goal-oriented approach that focuses on the present. Together, we'll work on…
Identifying thought patterns: Recognizing automatic negative thoughts (cognitive distortions) and core beliefs about yourself, others, and the world
Challenging unhelpful beliefs: Examining the evidence for and against them
Behavioral activation: Engaging in meaningful activities even when motivation is low
Exposure: Gradually facing fears in a safe, supportive environment
Skills building: Developing coping strategies for managing difficult emotions
Problem-solving: Breaking down overwhelming challenges into manageable steps
The CBT approach to suffering
CBT recognizes that it's often not events themselves that cause distress, but how we interpret them. Suffering often comes from:
All-or-nothing thinking
Catastrophizing
Magnifying negative & minimizing positive
Mind reading & fortune telling
Believing thoughts without questioning them
Avoidance behaviors that provide short-term relief but long-term suffering
Negative cycles where thoughts, feelings, and behaviors reinforce each other
Instead of accepting these patterns as facts, CBT helps you test and transform them.
What to expect in CBT sessions
CBT is collaborative and action-oriented:
Thought records to track patterns and identify distortions
Behavioral experiments to test beliefs in real-world situations
Gradual exposure exercises for anxiety and avoidance
Activity scheduling to increase engagement and improve mood
Skills practice for emotion regulation and distress tolerance
Between-session activities to reinforce learning and build momentum
Common CBT concepts we might explore:
The cognitive triangle: Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Changing one shifts the others.
Evidence gathering: Treating thoughts like hypotheses to test rather than facts to believe automatically.
What CBT treats effectively
Research shows CBT helps with:
Panic attacks
Social anxiety
PTSD & trauma
Ready to begin?
It's truly a privilege to be a therapist, and I'd be honored to support you in your healing. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit.