Cognitive & Behavioral Therapy
Understand what keeps you stuck.
Learn how to change it.
Sometimes we know that the way we're thinking, feeling, or responding isn't working—but knowing that doesn't necessarily make it easy to do something differently.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach to therapy that helps people understand the patterns contributing to emotional distress and develop practical strategies for changing them.
At BonaVita Psychology, CBT is collaborative, active, and individualized. We use treatments grounded in psychological science while recognizing that effective therapy is never one-size-fits-all.
What Is CBT?
CBT is based on the understanding that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. Changes in one area can influence the others, giving us multiple opportunities to interrupt patterns that may be keeping us stuck.
For example, anxiety may lead someone to avoid situations that feel uncomfortable. Avoidance provides relief in the short term, but over time it can reinforce the belief that the situation is dangerous or unmanageable—ultimately making anxiety stronger.
CBT helps identify these cycles and determine where change can have the greatest impact.
Depending on what brings you to therapy, this might involve learning to recognize and respond differently to unhelpful thinking patterns, gradually approaching situations you've been avoiding, changing behaviors that reinforce depression or anxiety, developing new ways of solving problems, or practicing skills for managing difficult emotions.
Many CBT treatments are structured and time-limited, sometimes lasting approximately 6–20 sessions. Treatment length varies, however, based on the concern being treated, its complexity and severity, and your individual goals.
What Does CBT Look Like?
CBT is more than simply talking about what happened during the week. Therapy is designed to help you understand patterns, learn new strategies, and practice doing things differently—both inside and outside of sessions.
A few principles guide our approach:
-
Therapy is collaborative. Your therapist brings expertise in psychological science and evidence-based treatment; you bring expertise in yourself, your experiences, values, and goals. Treatment works by bringing those perspectives together.
-
Treatment is active. You'll learn and practice concrete strategies rather than relying exclusively on insight or discussion.
-
What happens between sessions matters. Lasting change requires applying what you're learning to your everyday life. Depending on your treatment, this may include practicing skills, completing exposures, tracking patterns, or experimenting with new behaviors between sessions.
-
Treatment is goal-oriented. You and your therapist will identify meaningful goals and use them to guide treatment.
-
We measure progress. Goals and symptoms are monitored throughout treatment so that we can evaluate whether therapy is helping and adjust our approach when needed.
-
The ultimate goal is for you to become your own therapist. CBT is designed to help you develop skills and understanding that you can continue using long after formal treatment ends.
Evidence-Based Treatment, Individualized to You
Following an evidence-based treatment does not mean following a script.
At BonaVita Psychology, we place a strong emphasis on providing treatments that have been supported by research while thoughtfully adapting treatment to the individual in front of us.
Your therapist will work with you to develop a case conceptualization—a shared understanding of the factors contributing to your current difficulties and, importantly, what may be keeping them going.
That understanding helps us determine not simply what diagnosis you have, but what needs to change for you to feel and function differently.
Treatment recommendations are then guided by the strongest available research, your individual needs and circumstances, and your goals and preferences.
Specialty CBT Treatments
CBT is an umbrella that includes a number of specialized treatments developed and studied for particular concerns. Our clinicians have training and expertise in evidence-based treatments including:
-
Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD
-
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD
-
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
-
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD
-
Parent Management Training
-
Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)
-
Intensive Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
What To Expect
Treatment begins with a comprehensive assessment designed to understand not only the concerns bringing you to therapy, but the larger context in which they occur.
Your therapist will ask about your current symptoms and difficulties, relevant history, strengths, values, previous treatment experiences, and what you hope will be different as a result of therapy. Depending on the reason you're seeking treatment, the assessment may also include standardized questionnaires or other measures.
From there, you and your therapist will develop a shared understanding of the patterns contributing to your difficulties and discuss treatment recommendations, goals, and an initial plan for therapy.
As treatment progresses, sessions remain collaborative, active, and focused on your goals. We routinely monitor progress and use that information to guide treatment. If something isn't working, we want to know—and we adjust accordingly.
Our goal is not simply to help you feel better during therapy. It's to help you understand yourself differently, develop skills that work in your life, and create changes that continue after therapy ends.
Ready to Get Started?
If you're interested in CBT at BonaVita Psychology, contact us to learn more about our approach, availability, and whether one of our clinicians may be a good fit for your needs.