Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
in Gulf Breeze

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in Gulf Breeze is used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, from anxiety disorders to depression. It's one of the most commonly used talking therapies in the world because it can be effective for many people, including individuals dealing with grief or trauma as well as those living with physical health problems and long-term behavioral issues like addictions and eating disorders.

How Does CBT Therapy Work?

To start, the mental health provider will work with you to identify your attitudes and automatic thoughts which can impact your thinking. These might include certain beliefs about risk, money, and success. As you work through these techniques the mental health provider will provide powerful, alternative ways of thinking which can help you understand issues more clearly and feel less anxious. Over time you'll see changes in how you feel - including feeling more hopeful, more positive, and less stressed.

For example, think about the last time you had an argument with your spouse, significant other, or family member. How did it turn out? Were you able to understand why they were making that choice and how it impacted you? Did you even try to change their mind? If not, then how could you set yourself up to have a better relationship with anyone in the future? Building better relationships and understanding your automatic thoughts, feelings and behaviors is part of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). With proper therapy and guidance, you can train yourself to have more constructive thoughts in difficult situations, this is what makes CBT so powerful. It gives people the ability to develop an understanding of their automatic responses to issues, reframe them in a constructive manner, and then take positive steps to change them.

This is a winning combination - and one that has been proven to work time and time again.

The Benefits of CBT in Gulf Breeze FL

The benefits of CBT can be wide-ranging, here are a few of them:

It gives people optimism about their mental health

The stigma around mental health can mean individuals get discouraged about their life outlook once they receive their diagnosis. In fact, it can be easy to lose confidence and assume that a specific mental health diagnosis will negatively impact their life permanently.

Effective CBT can change the entire outlook of a prognosis and give people optimism about overcoming their challenges and improving their mental health. From the outset, CBT aims to help individuals understand that their thoughts are not always reality and that their behaviors can play an active role in dramatically improving their life.

It helps individuals improve their self-esteem

When people are struggling with their mental health, a sense of pessimism about their outlook can also result in poor self-esteem. This can feed the cycle that turns negative thoughts into unwanted behaviors and vice versa. By deconstructing that cycle, CBT allows room for positive thoughts and behaviors to emerge.

Spurs the development of more rational thought processes

One of the biggest benefits of CBT is that it helps an individual take control of their own thoughts and emotions.

There's no question that cognitive distortions (or subconsciously misinterpreting a situation) can happen on autopilot. Over time CBT can help you recognize this is happening, allowing you to process situations by questioning and replacing the negative thoughts with productive thought processes.

No longer do you have to succumb to the control of negative thoughts, instead you can rationalize them and develop the appropriate response to the given situation at hand.

How to Get Started with CBT

Taking the first step is always difficult. Your mental health professional, Dr. Tatiana Grant at Clinical Psychology Services, is committed to making the process of seeking help as smooth and supportive as possible. If you think cognitive behavioral therapy might be right for you, contact us today and we can set up an initial consultation to explore your options in greater detail.