Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Boston, MA—Therapists and Counselors
Cognitive distortions make already difficult realities even more challenging. But many people are learning how to change their thinking. It is not as simple as changing the channel on the TV, but people can and do replace these cognitive distortions with true, positive thoughts. To learn how, many people are turning to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
CBT is a type of therapy that focuses upon people’s thought patterns. Through CBT, internal change is the catalyst for external change. People cannot always control their circumstances or other people, but they can change their perspective. Clinical studies have shown that clients who went through CBT experienced significant and stable changes by adjusting their thought patterns. Specifically, clients who wrestled with anxiety and depression experienced similar results with CBT as they did with medication. CBT empowers individuals with cognitive and emotional skills that often benefit after their therapy finishes.
Thriveworks Boston knows that lasting change comes from individuals who want a better life but who also need a little help along the way. That is why we offer cognitive behavioral therapy at Thriveworks Boston. Our therapists, psychologists, and counselors have partnered with many clients and have seen the impact positive thinking can have in an individual’s life. Reach out today for help.
How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help?
When individuals begin CBT, their therapists will often have them specific an emotional, psychological, relational, and/or social problem they are facing. CBT is very practice and asks clients to be proactive in their lives. However, CBT does not analyze the situation, but it focuses upon the clients and how each client views their particular challenge.
The situations that clients may name will vary greatly, and they may include…
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Relationship issues
- Self-destructive habits
- Anger management
- Self-mutilation
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- General health issues
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Drug and/or alcohol addiction
- Child and adolescent issues
Prevalent Cognitive Distortions
Everyone will experience a cognitive distortion at some point in life. They are destructive but common. Part of their destruction lies in that they can fuel action. Untrue thoughts can lead to unhelpful behaviors. Being aware that cognitive distortions exists and what they may look like is often the first step toward fighting them. Prevalent cognitive distortions include…
- “Black and white” or polarized thinking categorizing everything as good-or-bad, horrifying-or-peaceful, delicious-or-disgusting. This either-or thinking does not allow for shade or grey.
- Filtering blocks any good realities, minimizing or denying them so that people only acknowledge the negative, the adverse, and the bad.
- Catastrophizing anticipates the worst possible outcomes in every situation even when signs point to a potentially beneficial outcome.
- Overgeneralization uses one experience to make a principle that may or may not be true and is applied to other experiences that may or may not be connected.
- Personalization happens people interpret another’s actions as a statement about themselves such as if a friend cannot answer a phone call, the individual feels personally slighted.
- Blaming is fault-finding even when there is no one to blame.
- Emotional reasoning mistakes one’s feelings about reality with that reality itself. In the previous example, Carman was feeling guilty, but she was not actually guilty.
Scheduling an Appointment for CBT at Thriveworks Boston
Consider for a moment what challenges you are facing. What do you think about those situations? Are those thoughts helping? If cognitive distortions are exacerbating the difficulties in your life, know that Thriveworks Boston offers cognitive behavioral therapy. If you reach out to Thriveworks Boston, you may be meeting with your therapist or psychologist the following day. We do not keep waitlists, but we do offer weekend and evening appointments. We also accept most insurance plans.
Let’s get started. Contact Thriveworks Boston today.
