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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

I utilize an eclectic approach to my therapy. Part of my work is pulled from my experience using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. I utilize exercises, techniques, and framework from CBT in many areas of my work. Many times this is most beneficial to get concerns or problematic behaviors or reactions from continuing to cause problems in your life while we work to reframe or relearn how to have healthier reactions or behaviors in response to stressors or other life concerns. To read a little more on the theories behind CBT please read below:

Primary Framework: Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive theory was developed to treat depression and other mental health issues that are the result of faulty thinking. The theory discusses that our behavior and emotions are the result of our perceptions about different experiences or situations. These perceptions are created through the ways that we organized information while growing up to identify different things. These ways of identifying things are our main beliefs due to continued development and acceptance of these being correct and appropriate. Then there are intermediate beliefs, and automatic thoughts. Intermediate beliefs are assumptions or general rules for identifying things or situations and are generally a way of dealing with negative main beliefs. Automatic thoughts are instant reactions to a situation or a thing that may be positive or negative, and these tend to cause the most emotional distress due to their relationship to other beliefs. All of these beliefs, identities, and thoughts taken together constitute modes of thinking which are based on survival by reducing a threat or expanding resources (Murdock et al., 2017). 

Primary Framework: Behavioral Therapy

According to behavioral therapy, people are affected by their environment and adapt their behaviors to survive. These adaptive behaviors satisfy needs, bringing people relief from pain, discomfort, or danger. Behavioral therapy identifies psychological dysfunction as maladaptive behavior which is learned, or is the result of not learning appropriate skills. Behavioral therapy is not as concerned with the root of an issue as much as it is a way to change the negative behavior and the issues associated with this behavior. According to the classical conditioning perspective of behavioral therapy, psychological dysfunction results from anxiety becoming a conditioned response to a previously neutral stimulus. Assessment is a key component of behavioral therapy, utilizing many formal and informal assessments to analyze the client’s behavior and specify a target behavior or behaviors to change. Intervention begins after the target behavior is identified. Intervention utilizes different techniques to alter the maladaptive behavior (Murdock et al., 2017).