Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an umbrella term for any therapy that helps people understand the interactions of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, if you are having the thought “people won’t like me,” it may cause you to feel anxious about going to a party. Feeling anxious may cause you to avoid going to the party. Not going to the party serves to confirm and strengthen your belief “people won’t like me,” regardless of whether the belief is true.

Most modern therapy modalities are born out of CBT concepts. In therapy, we may focus on identifying the core beliefs getting in your way (e.g. “I’m never good enough.” “People can’t be trusted.”) and help you develop more balanced, adaptive thoughts. We may also focus on the behaviors holding you back (e.g. If you are feeling depressed or anxious, you may be more likely to skip going to the party and isolate at home, which usually leaves people feeling more depressed or anxious.). You can learn to confront the temporary distress of going to the party, and decrease long term depression or anxiety. 

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is manualized, evidence-based therapy that helps patients process their traumatic event(s), learn to recognize and name trauma-based beliefs, teaches cognitive skills for how to challenge these beliefs, and replace them with alternative thoughts for more effective everyday life. People who have survived trauma tend to have more extreme cognitions, such as “the world is not safe,” “no one can be trusted,” and/or “it’s all my fault.” CPT helps patients identify beliefs that no longer serve them, and replace them with more adaptive, accurate beliefs for a more peaceful life.  

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a manualized, evidence-based therapy that helps patients process their traumatic event(s) and identify the ways in which trauma has changed their behaviors. For example, people who have survived trauma may struggle with being in crowded situations or feel the need to engage in safety behaviors such as scanning or sitting with their back to the wall. PE helps patients learn to gradually approach feared situations (that are not objectively dangerous) and tolerate their distress until their fear subsides, giving them more freedom in their day-to-day lives.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness approaches are often used with CBT to treat a variety of disorders, including anxiety and depression. Sometimes challenging thoughts and changing behaviors isn’t enough; sometimes life is just hard.  Mindfulness techniques help individuals practice how to stay in the present moment, with acceptance and curiosity.  Oftentimes, distress is not due to the present moment, but rather due to living in one’s head, reliving the past or worrying about the future. Training yourself to live in the present moment makes life manageable and turns the mind towards living with acceptance and gratitude.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive-behavioral treatment that teaches skills needed in order to balance the importance of mindfulness and accepting life as it is, as well as skills for actively managing distress, and changing problematic behavior. We currently offer DBT-informed individual outpatient therapy, where patients learn how to manage strong emotions, stress, and relationships effectively. This level of DBT would not be sufficient for highly suicidal, self- harming individuals or individuals needing full-program DBT, but rather would be an excellent fit for individuals with depression or anxiety, people struggling with relationships, and/or those who would like to learn how to better manage emotions, relationships, and live in the moment instead of ruminating on the past or worrying about the future.