Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Services in South Florida

What are cognitive behavioral therapy services?

How can it help you?

You are strongly encouraged to visit the NACBT.org website for a thorough overview of the concept of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). There, you will understand that the treatment is very different than more "traditional" forms of psychotherapy.

The treatment is very structured, directive and challenging. It is time limited and goal-specific in its nature. The treatment essentially encourages an increased awareness of one's thought patterns and processes and the impact they have upon how one feels and behaves. It also helps a person to understand how one's thinking mediates or controls how a person interprets the individual's environment. The treatment almost always entails some form of homework since "practice" or "education" never ends in the classroom. Simply put, and in our experience, cognitive-behavioral therapy assists one in becoming a better "detective" or "examiner" of one's methods of interpreting behaviors and feelings. By doing so, one can better make sense of maladaptive or disruptive thoughts or views. It is believed that we can only change that of which we are aware.

Can children be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy?

Research indicates that children and adolescents are quite amenable to such forms of therapy. Like any forms of communication, the therapy accommodates the child's level of development so that the concepts are understood and appreciated by the child. Not unlike education, the material needs to be tailored to the child's "grade." A therapist who uses such techniques must demonstrate a particular appreciation for a developmental psychology in addition to cognitive-behavioral treatment concepts.

Is cognitive behavioral therapy used for any particular diagnosis?

The treatment is regularly utilized for a variety of disorders including depressive disorders, mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (referred to as ADHD or ADD), addictions (such as chemical and alcohol dependency or abuse), anxiety disorders (such as panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder), eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating) and impulse-control disorders (self-injury, self-mutilation, intermittent explosive disorders).

The common factor that is most linked to the treatment effectiveness is clearly one's motivation for treatment and one's willingness to actively engage in their treatment. Again, like education, one must be a willing student.