Our therapists offer cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Midlothian, VA

My go-to approach for helping people in cognitive behavioral therapy is to acknowledge the connection between thoughts, feelings, and somatic experience. I find the best outcomes from accepting how thoughts and feelings and behaviors each impact the other directly or indirectly.

In cognitive behavioral therapy, I try to teach tools that the client can carry with them after termination that align with CBT:

• Cognitive Challenging: Ask yourself questions to get to the roots and outcomes of certain cognitive patterns to gain more self-insight.
• Reframing: Practice changing the frameworks you use to think about and process cognitions to better help you.
• Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up processing: Alternate between thoughts-first and experiences-first as suited to the situation to avoid falling into cognitive traps or stubborn habits.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in cognitive behavioral therapy when they can analyze their first cognitive or emotional responses and then adjust their responses to drive themselves towards their desired outcomes.

Clients can supplement their time in cognitive behavioral therapy by practicing the tools learned in counseling before they're needed. Difficult situations are easier to work through when you're familiar with the tools needed to work through the difficult situations.

To prepare for their first cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, an individual can write down any patterns they've noticed regarding how they think, feel, or perceive distressing situations and responses.