​     One possibility is that you thought "my friend is angry with me. I did something wrong." You then feel guilty and anxious. You decide to get drunk and then go confront your friend, screaming and yelling. Your friend gets angry with you. You feel even more guilty and angry. And so on...And in this spiral, your body can be affected in negative ways, such as activating the stress response, difficulty sleeping, and withdrawal from alcohol.

 

     However, what if you thought "my friend just didn't see me."? You'd probably feel neutral or maybe a little disappointed, but you continue on with your walk and the rest of your day. What if you decide to run and catch up with your friend, who was then glad to see you? You might feel happy and think "I have a great friend."

 

   Our minds are constantly coming up with narratives for different situations based on past experiences, core beliefs, and the negativity bias (unfortunately, due to evolution, humans are hard-wired to look for negativity and threats). We may have also developed negative behavioral patterns and coping mechanisms, which may offer temporary relief, but make your problems worse in the long-term. 

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     CBT teaches you different strategies for identifying unhelpful thoughts and reframing them to be more balanced and realistic. You will also engage in different behaviors and learn healthy coping tools to break negative habits and behavioral patterns.  CBT has been proven to be the most effective psychotherapy treatment across a wide array of mental and physical concerns, including anxiety, depression, and general life-stress. Let me help you learn the CBT tools most effective for you!

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I also offer the following specialized, CBT protocols:

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• Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

• Prolonged Exposure for PTSD

• CBT for Chronic Pain

• CBT for Insomnia