Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy?

CBT is a short-term talk therapy (psychotherapy or counseling). You work with a mental health therapist at Mind Health Institute, Orange County, usually for 5-20 sessions.

Using CBT, your therapist highlights inaccurate and negative thoughts. Having identified these problems, you learn to assess challenging situations more accurately and respond appropriately.

What can CBT treat?

CBT treats a wide range of mental health problems. It’s often a fundamental approach for conditions like:

• Major depressive disorder (depression)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Substance use disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Phobias
• Bipolar disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sleep disorders
• Eating disorders
• Sexual disorders

CBT can help people overcome challenging life transitions like divorce and get through the grieving process following a loss. You can apply CBT principles to help you better manage any stressful situation.

What can I expect from CBT?

At your first CBT session, your therapist will ask about your physical and mental health to understand your situation. They will then complete an appraisal to ensure that they take the most effective approach. When appropriate, they might suggest additional treatments like medication.

Your therapist encourages you to openly discuss your thoughts and feelings and describe what’s causing you problems. Many people find this difficult at first, but your therapist builds a trusting relationship with you so that you grow more comfortable and confident with time.

How does CBT work?

CBT focuses on specific challenges with set goals in mind. For example, you might struggle to leave home because of anxiety. If so, your goal might be to go out with your friends once a week.

Your therapist helps you identify what worries and concerns prevent you from leaving home. These can include the fear of having a panic attack and feelings of embarrassment. Or it might be a fear that you’ll have an accident and injure yourself or die.

Next, your therapist helps you determine if your views are based on facts or flawed thinking. They show you how to evaluate each fear and see how unrealistic it is so that you can reduce your anxiety.

This is the most challenging step because you’ll likely have deeply ingrained thought patterns. If you keep practicing, new thoughts and behaviors will replace old negative ones.

Call Mind Health Institute, Orange County, or book an appointment online today to gain freedom from mental health symptoms like anxiety.