Cognitive Behavior Therapy

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Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a scientifically supported and action

oriented method of psychotherapy aimed at becoming aware of and

changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT has been found to be as

effective as medication for a number of psychological problems (such as

anxiety and depression).

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The goal of CBT is to increase family, work, school, and general life

functioning by reducing physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms of stress and increasing positive goal oriented behaviors. CBT works best when the client and therapist work as collaborative partners and clients are motivated to change.

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A key difference between CBT and other forms of psychotherapy is that CBT makes use of client gathered data throughout the treatment process. Cognitive behavioral therapists believe that collecting data is crucial to understanding and monitoring self-improvement. Therapists design treatments based on individual case conceptualizations with clients.

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In addition, a specific behavioral treatment that is used for anxiety and phobias at the Cognitive Behavior Therapy & Mindfulness Center is exposure therapy (see Exposure Therapy page). In many cases coping skills are an important treatment ​component offered at our center. ​Examples of coping skills are​ ​progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), breathing retraining, actively working with unhelpful thought processes, and challenging beliefs about automatic thought habits. ​

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