There are many kinds of therapy- Somatic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy etc.- and it is hard to know what approach will be the most helpful for you!
Today, I am sharing a little bit about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which I utilize with clients to address anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and self-esteem. CBT is an "evidence-based approach", meaning that data has shown how helpful it can be! Is it for you?
Checkout the video or transcript below to find out more!
(Transcript from video below)
Hey, my name is Meredith and I'm the owner of Rooted Wellness Counseling here in Boulder, Colorado!
Today I wanted to talk a little bit about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive behavioral Therapy (or CBT) is one approach to therapy, and it is one of the most well known, because there is a lot of evidence behind it. We know that it works really well for people who are dealing with things like anxiety, depression, sleep concerns, self esteem issues, and many other concerns. Yet, the term Cognitive Behavioral Therapy may just sound like a grouping of words and I wanted to dive a little deeper into what that approach is all about and who may be a good fit for.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy acknowledges that our past experiences, things that we've told ourselves, things that we have been told by parents/ friends, partners- all of these things kind of come together to create this lens that we see the world through. And sometimes that isn't the most accurate view, because our past experiences have shaped it in a way that may be more negative or may make us feel more fearful or untrusting of the situations that we're in. So Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps us address and identify:
-what those thinking patterns are that aren't working for us
-the emotional responses from those thinking patterns that may or may not be serving us
-and also our behaviors
So, it really takes a deep look at what are the thoughts that we're continuing to have, are they unhelpful thoughts? Or are [our thoughts] working for us? As well as, what may be better thoughts or more realistic positive ways that we can be yourself, situations or others.
I find this to be a really helpful approach because it is pretty structured. This is a good option for people who like having some homework in between sessions, and are looking to see a progression of treatment. It's not just coming in and talking about what's been going on for you throughout the week, but growing on what happened last week and continuing to make a plan forward.
I also want to say that a lot of my past clients have told me, or said to me, I feel like I'm a certain age or have been thinking this way for so long that I don't know if I can change- maybe this is just who I am. And I just want to reassure that yes you can. We know that we can change our thinking patterns, we can change how we feel about ourselves, and we can improve our self esteem. There is absolutely possibility for positive change and growth.
We know this because of our neural pathways! We know that the more we think something and the longer we think something, the deeper our pathways get. So we just have to create new pathways to have new channels for thinking, which is absolutely something that we can do. So, this is what I love about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- it is very focused and action oriented
- it may be a good fit for people dealing with anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, even past trauma
-it is a structured approach and good for clients open to some homework
I hope that was helpful. Again, there are many other types of therapy to consider, but I think Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a great one if those things sound like a good fit for you. Have a good day, guys!
Meredith Waller MSW, LCSW
Based in Boulder, CO and offering online counseling throughout Colorado
-Certified Shame-Informed Treatment Specialist
-Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional
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