Do you have thoughts that you wish you could just stop thinking?
Are there times that you wonder if you could change the way you think, life would be so much better?
Is it hard for you to make changes in your life stick? Like starting new diets or workout plans?
With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), all that is possible.
Changing how you think and act and feel is hard to do alone.
And it’s so frustrating, because you have all these goals and dreams of what life could be… if only.
If only you could stop the negative thoughts spiraling.
If only you didn’t feel sad or empty all the time.
If only you could get yourself to reach at least one important goal.
If only you could be anybody else but yourself.
These thoughts and feelings are very common.
People want change in their life because they want something better for themselves.
For their families and loved ones.
They want to be more present, happier, relaxed, and confident.
But they don’t know how to get to where they want to be.
They don’t know how to become who they want to be.
There Is Hope.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been proven through countless research studies to be a highly effective form of therapy for helping people achieve the changes they want.
CBT is one of the most effective treatments known for many mental health concerns, including: depression, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty adjusting to changes, bipolar, and grief.
I have used CBT to help people reach practical goals as well, such as:
- Improving communication skills
- Sticking with a new diet or workout plan
- Writing a book
- Starting a side business
- Getting better grades
- Breaking technology addictions
With the techniques that I use, my clients get relief fast.
But it does take work.
As long as you are motivated to learn and try new things, the struggles that you have been going through can be helped.
Are you ready to take back control of your life?
Call me at (402) 937-9700 or email Christina@RiverCairnCounseling.com.
what exactly is CBT and how does it work?
CBT operates under the belief that the way you think affects how you act and feel.
And the way you act influences your thoughts and emotions.
And your feelings impact what you think and how you behave.
Basically, there’s a triangle of cause and effect that impact our every decision.
For example, if my husband eats the last of the ice cream in the freezer, there might be several different thoughts I could have.
Thought #1 That’s so rude of him! Why couldn’t he save me just a little? He clearly doesn’t care as much about me as he does his own happiness.
Thought #2 Of course the ice cream is gone. I guess I deserve it, I’m such a bad wife. I really don’t deserve his love, and this just proves that he doesn’t love me much.
Thought #3 Oh darn, I was really looking forward to some ice cream. I wonder if we have any brownie mix left? I could get that in the oven and have him pick up more ice cream on the way home. Brownies and ice cream are awesome!
How to you expect you might feel after each of the thoughts above?
The first thought would probably leave a person feeling angry and resentful.
The second would likely result in feelings of shame and self-loathing.
The third thought would doubtlessly lead to excitement.
With those thoughts and feelings in mind, what would be some potential outcomes?
In the first scenario, the wife might snap or yell at her husband, or give him the cold shoulder.
In the second scenario, the wife may cry and decide to cancel plans she had with her friends for later that evening.
And in the third scenario, the couple would likely enjoy a delicious dessert and perhaps even have a good time together!
Notice that in all 3 scenarios, the situation was the same.
The ice cream was missing from the freezer.
What was different were the thoughts that the people had.
But how can you change your thoughts?
Through treatment, people learn to recognize when they are having unhelpful or unhealthy thought patterns called “cognitive distortions.”
You learn how to challenge the thoughts and replace them with more helpful thoughts.
Notice I said helpful, not necessarily “positive.”
With practice, the alternative thoughts become more natural, and the cognitive distortions happen less often.
If changing your thoughts sounds too intimidating, some people choose to start first with changing their behaviors.
So we work on creating plans that help you act the way you want to despite the way you think or how you feel.
Over time, your thoughts and feelings naturally begin to change as your behaviors change.
Ready to get your life back?
Call me at (402) 937-9700 or email Christina@RiverCairnCounseling.com.
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In Crisis?
- If you are currently working with me and we have developed a safety plan together, follow that safety plan.
- If you do not feel able to keep yourself or others safe right now, please call 9-1-1 or go to the closest hospital ER for help.
- If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or homicide, call 9-1-1 or 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Contact Me
Phone: (402) 937-9700
Email: christina@rivercairncounseling.com