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

Joseph: My go-to approach for helping people in cognitive behavioral therapy is developing an extended and nuanced emotional vocabulary in order to enhance one's ability to recognize the nature of one's thoughts. This helps clients think and do differently in a way that is congruent with their desired future outcomes and personal values. I enjoy watching the intellectual and emotional growth in clients as they refine their abilities for introspection. I find the best benefit of this growth is using it as a means to recognize, more deftly, patterns that may be maladaptive and redirect and learn alternative ways of thinking and approaching situations to support them in the ongoing process that is self-actualization.

Sue: My go-to approach with CBT is to follow a CBT workbook that is an evidence-based 12-week program I use with clients. I first provide psychoeducation on how thoughts impact feelings and behavior choices, how to recognize cognitive distortions, keeping a thought log, and beginning to challenge negative thought and behavior patterns.

Joseph: Often the tools that clients seem to find the most beneficial in therapy are:

• Learning about the cognitive-behavioral model, which enables understanding the breadth and depth of the interactivity of our thought processes, emotional responses, and subsequent behaviors
• Developing an expanded emotional vocabulary in order to more precisely decipher one's inner experience
• Developing an awareness of past experiences, which may have influence on one's present perspectives
• Learning about cognitive distortions, which supports a deeper comprehension of the underlying mechanisms of our cognitions
• Working on bringing awareness to one's core beliefs, which can act as a screen and filter
• Being equipped with direct lines of systematic questioning that appropriately challenge ineffective and/or maladaptive thoughts and beliefs

Sue: I teach the following tools: keeping a thought log, identifying core beliefs, challenging thoughts, identifying cognitive distortions, and working on cognitive reframing. During sessions, we actively work on challenging negative beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors which assist in improving feelings related to different situations.

Joseph: Clients often describe feeling they are making meaningful progress in cognitive behavioral therapy when they verbalize comprehension of the overarching model, show an increased ability to more fully explain and expand upon their thoughts and emotions, consciously acknowledge how past experiences may play a part in their perspectives, describe their thought processes in detail, and feel equipped to challenge negative thoughts with the understanding of how the thoughts and beliefs can perpetuate and reinforce ineffective thinking.

Sue: CBT sessions are structured, and I conduct weekly check-ins with clients and monitor improvements when skills are used outside of sessions by having clients vocalize levels of distress on a scale of 1-5, with 5 indicating significant distress.

Joseph: Clients can be active participants in their cognitive behavioral therapy progress by reviewing the material, consistently practicing recognition of emotional responses and how they look at situations and circumstances, and persistently implementing tools discussed during therapy outside of the sessions.

Sue: Clients will have weekly assignments to work on and can practice skills learned in sessions weekly. Clients are also encouraged to keep a thought log and show evidence of how the skills are used in day-to-day life events.

Joseph: To prepare for their first cognitive behavioral therapy session, individuals can remind themselves that learning is a lifelong process; that asking questions is essential; that pursuing changes is effortful and purposeful; that change is often gradual and non-linear, and to be open to giving thoughtful consideration to new ideas.

Sue: To prepare for the first CBT session, an individual can create a list of symptoms and come to the first session after intake and discuss specific events that have happened recently that have created unhelpful thoughts or behaviors. It is also helpful if an individual can identify any possible common triggers that could cause the individual to feel mental health distress and create a list of those things.