Cognitive Therapy Can Help You
Cognitive therapy operates on the belief that the way you think affects the way you feel and behave. If we challenge your irrational thoughts and replace them with rational ways of thinking, you will feel better and behave in ways that promote healthy living.
In each session, I will ask you to tell me, in very specific terms, about a situation that is giving you difficulty. All of your problems are most likely imbedded in that one specific situation. We will then examine your negative thoughts and identify cognitive distortions. (Sometimes the conclusions you are making are inconsistent with the information at hand. This faulty logic is called a cognitive distortion.)
Think of a situation that is upsetting to you. What would it be worth to you if I could help you solve this problem? Would you be willing to do assignments between sessions? Homework is an essential ingredient in cognitive therapy. I will assign homework in every session that is tailored to your problem. In order to achieve success in therapy, you must be willing to do the assignments.
Along the way, we will frequently measure your degree of depression, anxiety, relationship satisfaction, and other factors that may be related to your problem. As your scores change, we will know how much progress you have made.
Cognitive therapy is not always easy. It can be very hard work, but the life-changing results are very rewarding. If you are depressed, we will challenge your feelings of hopelessness. If you are anxious, we will challenge your worst fears. If you are addicted to a behavior, we will challenge your fear that life will be boring and dull if you stop what you are doing. If you are angry, I will help you assume responsibility in your relationships. If you are shy, I will help you open up and take risks in groups.
When you are ready to make changes, I am here to work with you.