Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
When pursing therapy, it’s important to consider therapy approaches and different options available to you. There are many therapeutic approaches that a therapist can use to provide an evidenced based framework to guide your therapeutic treatment. Based on your specific goals and symptoms, a therapeutic approach is selected to be used as the guiding framework of your therapy sessions. At Psychotherapy for Women, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the main theoretical approach used to guide treatment interventions. This treatment modality has been shown to provide individuals with the tools and strategies they need to manage unwanted symptoms and improve mental wellbeing by making sustainable changes. To ensure clients have the best treatment available to them, Psychotherapy for Women utilizes additional frameworks and therapeutic techniques outside of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), although CBT is one of the most widely recognized and evaluated treatment approaches in the field.
A Little More About It
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown through evidence-based research to effectively help treat the following:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Mood disorders
- Substance abuse and misuse
- Disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders
- Low self-esteem and self-confidence issues
- Perinatal and postpartum mood disorders
- Motherhood stressors
- Intrusive and unwanted negative thoughts
- Self-limiting beliefs
- Life transitions and other challenges
How It Works
With this focus, your therapy will help you to identify unhealthy coping strategies and mindsets not supporting your recovery, educate you on healthier coping tools, teach you how to identify and challenge problematic ways of thinking, and set realistic, achievable goals. This approach has been found useful in managing many symptoms that we as women face throughout our adult years as we navigate a variety of life transitions and stressors. It has also been shown to help individuals improve self-care, increase positive self-talk, boost self-esteem, set healthier boundaries, improve relationships and enhance social support, increase self-awareness, focus on strengths, and increase overall satisfaction in life.
Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Right for Me?
When deciding to pursue therapy, it’s important to ensure that you are receiving the best therapy for your specific needs and symptoms. If you are looking for a treatment that focuses on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and actions, with actionable steps you can begin taking to improve your mental health and wellness, CBT is a great option for you.
Additional things you can expect with this approach include:
- A customized treatment plan with realistic action steps that you have a part in creating.
- Activities and between session challenges to help you practice skills learned.
- An emphasis on using your current resources and strengths to help you.
- Meeting you right where you’re at in your healing journey.
- Collaboration from your therapist to help you set and achieve your desired goals.
- Encouragement to enhance social support and improve relationships.
- Supportive, nonjudgmental space for growth and healing.
- Solution-focused perspective.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be great for the woman who:
- Wants actionable steps she can take to see effective change
- Is looking for goal-oriented treatment
- Wants to better understand thoughts and emotions that lead to using certain behaviors
- Is looking to disrupt unhealthy cycles of behavior
- Enjoys working on therapy tasks outside of therapy
- Needs specific goals or steps to help stay accountable
- Experiences intrusive thoughts and self-limiting beliefs
- Is looking to make lasting change
- Does not wish to be in therapy long-term
- Is looking for solution focused care
- Wants relief from symptoms as soon as possible
- Could benefit from learning healthy coping tools
If you are looking for a treatment that focused on all of these aspects that gives you actionable steps you can begin taking to improve your mental health and wellness, CBT is a great option for you.