Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Virginia Beach, VA

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—Counselors and Therapists in Virginia Beach, VA

CBT is a therapeutic method that focuses on understanding and changing thought patterns. Clinical research shows that CBT can lead to significant life changes by first altering thought processes. Clients struggling with severe mental health challenges like anxiety and depression often experience substantial symptom relief through CBT. Additionally, CBT equips people with emotional and cognitive skills they can use long after therapy ends.

Contact our office today at (757) 520-0827 and schedule your CBT appointment with a Thriveworks therapist.

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Works

In a typical CBT session, therapists and clients work together to address specific relational, emotional, psychological, and/or social challenges. Clients present a wide array of challenges, and therapists have utilized CBT as a treatment for:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Child and adolescent issues
• Self-destructive habits
• Relationship issues
• Anger management
• Self-mutilation
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• General health issues
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Insomnia
• Drug and/or alcohol addiction

CBT focuses on the client’s response to specific situations rather than the situations themselves. For example, consider a client who feels intense guilt for not visiting their parents over a holiday weekend. Through CBT, the client learns to view the situation differently and let go of negative thoughts and feelings.

Recognizing and Changing Cognitive Distortions

Everyone experiences negative thoughts known as cognitive distortions, which can fuel unhelpful or destructive actions. The process of changing these negative thoughts into positive ones begins with recognizing them. Common cognitive distortions include:

• “Black and white” thinking: Categorizing everything into extremes, such as good or evil.
• Filtering: Denying positive realities and acknowledging only the negative.
• Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst and seeing every setback as impending doom.
• Overgeneralization: Applying one experience to all unrelated circumstances.
• Personalization: Taking others’ actions as a direct reflection of oneself.
• Blaming: Constantly looking to find fault, even when blame does not help.
• Emotional reasoning: Equating emotions with external reality, such as feeling guilty and assuming wrongdoing.

Setting Up an Appointment for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at Thriveworks Virginia Beach

Thriveworks Virginia Beach offers appointments for CBT, and our therapists are here to help. When you call to schedule an appointment, a scheduling specialist will assist you. New clients often have their first session within 24 hours of calling. We offer weekend and evening appointments, do not keep a waitlist, and accept most insurance plans.

If you are ready to make a change, contact Thriveworks Virginia Beach today at (757) 520-0827. Let us help you transform your thoughts and your life.