Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Adjusting Your Thinking to Change Your Life

At Mosaic Clinical Services, we understand what it’s like to experience negative thinking that slowly starts to change the way you respond to others and behave in every part of your life, and we can help you to make positive changes. The brain is a complex organ that controls every aspect of your life, and when it’s healthy and properly functioning, that’s great. When the brain is struggling, your body will struggle too. Our skilled clinicians use a number of goal-oriented therapy methods to help you “retrain” your brain. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one such method. Below, you’ll find more information about CBT and how it can help you make positive life changes. If you have questions about CBT or want to schedule a session in our Kingston practice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Mosaic Community Services.

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The History of CBT

In the 1960s, psychiatrist, Aaron Beck, realized the importance of a person’s internal dialogue. During therapy sessions, he noted that people were thinking a number of different things about him, their therapy process, and every other interaction. He also noted that they would only talk about specific areas. Namely, they would respond to his questions with the story of “what happened” versus what they were thinking and feeling. He started to redirect clients to tell him what they were thinking and feeling during an event, and thus, he realized people often had “automatic thoughts,” that caused them to respond in specific ways without being conscious of these responses. He went on to develop the CBT method to help people recognize their underlying thought processes and change negative thinking.

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When We Utilize CBT

Today, CBT is still an effective, goal-oriented therapy method. We may use CBT in a variety of situations, including working with people who are experiencing:

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• Panic disorders

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Anxiety disorders

• Social phobia

• Depression and mood disorders

• Anger management and conflict issues

• Addiction and substance reliance issues

• Disordered eating and body dysmorphic disorder

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Your CBT Session & Homework

Some of the work of CBT will take place right in the office during your therapy session. However, the bulk of this work will happen outside - in your everyday life. CBT is a tool that will continue to help you at every stage of life.

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During your session, your counselor may ask you to tell them, what thoughts you had during a specific event, or even what you’re thinking about the therapy session. In partnership with your clinician, you’ll discuss the veracity of these thoughts, and how this thinking impacts your behavior.

For example, if you report thinking about your counselor, “She’s very quiet today, so she must not care what I’m saying.”

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Your therapist may provide feedback to help you better understand her perspective, “I am very interested. I’m listening closely, so I can better understand your perspective.” Then, your counselor will work with you to determine why you made a “negative” assumption and determine how that thinking has impacted your behavior.

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Outside the office, we may challenge you to identify just the facts, not assumptions, and keep track of how that made you feel. We may ask you to take notes about your thoughts in specific situations. If you’re struggling at work, we may recommend noting down your thoughts during professional interactions for a week. Then, we can review them during your session. There are a wide variety of applications for CBT, and if it’s an appropriate option, CBT can be very effective. If you’re interested in learning more about CBT, please don’t hesitate to ask during your next counseling session or when you call to schedule an appointment.

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How do I Get Started with Mosaic Clinical Services?

If you’re ready to schedule a CBT session or you want to learn more, please contact our team. One of us will be happy to speak with you about available counseling services and help you determine what your next steps should be.