As a Licensed Professional Counselor, the primary treatment approach that I rely on is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, a structured treatment modality that focuses on reducing unwanted thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. As an evidenced-based treatment, CBT has been proven to be one of the most effective forms of therapy. It is often used to treat present day symptoms such as: anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, obsessiveness, relationship issues, and more.
Furthermore, CBT helps clients to challenge negative thoughts, change autonomic trauma responses, and manage trauma triggers. I incorporate these techniques and more to help my clients prepare for trauma reprocessing using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is also a form of CBT therapy. CBT helps manage symptoms that are causing distress to the client presently and begins rewiring their brains' neural pathways prior to EMDR.
CBT focuses on the ‘here and now’ and the strategy includes:
Targeting a specific unwanted thought, feeling, or behavior
Understanding how it is maladaptive
Setting specific and realistic goals for reducing the symptoms
Afterwards client and therapist continually work together to incorporate better coping strategies for navigating the symptoms.
Every individual is different and therefore, your therapist will make adjustments according to what benefits you as the client.
There are various online resources and books that explain CBT for clients to access. Given its proven effectiveness, CBT is a worth while endeavor. To explore CBT services at Tree of Life Counseling & Consulting, book a consultation online now or call (337) 703-2806.
Comments