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

I prefer using the cognitive behavioral therapy approach to help my clients gain insight into how their negative and distorted thoughts impact their emotions and behaviors. I encourage my clients to process the connections in and outside of therapy to understand the negative or positive outcomes of connections.

I teach the following tools in cognitive behavioral therapy:

• Emotional regulation skills: Help clients manage emotions that most likely get them into trouble. Learning emotion regulation can produce new, more adaptive neural pathways in the brain.
• Communication skills using “I” statements: Helpful in teaching my clients to tell people how they feel and what they want others to understand.
• Grounding techniques: Help my clients stay in the “present” moment during episodes of intense anxiety or other overwhelming emotions.

I know my client is making meaningful progress in cognitive behavioral therapy when they focus on the present rather than the past and have evidence of symptom alleviation through tracking the decrease.

Clients can supplement their time in cognitive behavioral therapy by completing homework assignments and applying learned skills in life situations.

To prepare for their first cognitive behavioral therapy session, an individual can identify their emotional triggers and specific problems they want to work on or symptoms that are causing them distress.