Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
in Eugene, Oregon

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is present-oriented psychotherapy aimed at solving current problems and modifying inaccurate and unhelpful thinking and behavior. It relies on the principle that people can learn to evaluate their thinking in a more realistic and adaptive way. The therapy aims to bring about enduring and lasting emotional and behavior change. CBT is an effective choice for behavioral health in Eugene and all locations.

Here are some basic principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:

  • The CBT therapist maintains a unique, ever-evolving conceptualization of the client’s current thinking, problematic behaviors, precipitating factors (things that happened just before the onset of the mental health disturbance), developmental events (key events in earlier life stages, especially childhood), and the client’s enduring patterns of interpreting these events.

  • CBT requires a strong therapeutic alliance between the client and therapist, including the therapist conveying warmth, empathy, genuineness, and competence. The therapist encourages “teamwork,” or a collaborative process between the client and therapist.

  • CBT starts with an examination of the present, here-and-now issues, regardless of the client’s diagnosis. The focus of the therapy session shifts to the past when appropriate (for example, examining the origin of a dysfunctional thought pattern rooted in childhood).

  • CBT guides the client in identifying unhelpful thought patterns and developing more realistic, adaptive thought patterns that lead to feeling better emotionally.

  • CBT has an educational component, empowering you to become your own therapist with the skills you learn in session.

  • CBT is open to incorporating other therapeutic techniques as a part of the treatment, allowing for the therapist to be creative, adaptive, and responsive to each individual client’s needs.

How Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Work?

Structure of a CBT session:

If you would like to try cognitive behavioral therapy in Eugene, Oregon, consider that it is structured in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of the techniques. Each therapy session includes an introductory phase (checking in about current mood, a brief review of the client’s week, and determining what the client wants to focus on in the session that day, called an “agenda”). After the intro, the CBT session includes reviewing any previous “homework” or “action plans” that had been set at the end of the previous session, discussing problems on today’s agenda, and setting new homework). Finally, the session concludes with the therapist asking the client for feedback about the session (what worked for the client, what did not work, etc.).

Transformations in CBT sessions:

“Guided Discovery” is a critical technique used by CBT therapists during the therapy session. During this time, the therapist uses open-ended questions to help the client evaluate their thinking patterns. Guided discovery is an effective technique to help clients build self-awareness and insight.

“Behavioral experiments” are a CBT technique used to improve thinking, mood, and behavior. Often, we humans can limit ourselves based on faulty thinking and assumptions. Behavioral experiments can help us test the validity of our thought patterns. For example, if a person wants to spend time with friends, but they have the thought “They are tired of me,” they might avoid reaching out. A CBT therapist might guide the person to experiment safely with reaching out to friends and testing their automatic assumptions. It can be quite a powerful experience to overcome negative thinking patterns and live a fuller life, with the help of behavioral health in Eugene, Oregon.

Learn how CBT works and how it can help you achieve mental wellness!

Why Choose CBT for Mental Health Support?

CBT is an evidence-based effective mental health treatment for people with a variety of mental health concerns. With hundreds of research studies to validate its effectiveness, it has consistently helped people improve their lives for the past 60 years. With its emphasis on building skills, it leaves people with the tools they need to become their own therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy in Eugene Oregon can support you with managing your mental health symptoms and alleviating mental suffering.

Who Can Benefit from Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Trauma can have a major impact on an individual’s day-to-day experiences. Common trauma symptoms include altered, negative beliefs about the self and the world, inability to experience joy or relaxation, startle response, hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, poor concentration, feeling of estrangement from others, dissociation, intrusive memories, avoidance of people, places and things that bring back memories of the trauma, and more.

CBT is powerful not only in its ability to help us challenge inaccurate thoughts, but in its allowance for infusing a wide range of therapeutic techniques tailored to each individual client. For example, a person with a trauma history struggling with negative thoughts about themselves can benefit from CBT’s guided discovery technique to build insight and challenge their automatic thoughts. That client can also benefit from body-based techniques for relaxation (breathwork, grounding), which can be used alongside the techniques that are considered more solidly originating from CBT. I offer trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy, which takes into account your unique needs. I consistently empower you to have an active role in the direction of your therapy, which is a hallmark of trauma-informed therapy.

Start healing and book a trauma-informed CBT session today!

Get in Touch Today

Email us at mendhousetherapy@protonmail.com to schedule your consultation.