Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a psychotherapy treatment that helps people with mental health conditions learn to identify and cope with negative thought patterns.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy in Scottsdale centers around changing the thought patterns that can lead to or worsen conditions like depression and anxiety.

This psychotherapy is common and performed with a mental health counselor in a structured, neutral setting. Through therapy, people with mental health conditions can learn to identify negative thinking, view challenging situations with clarity, and respond in healthy ways.

Types of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy encompasses a range of techniques and approaches that can address the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that contribute to unhealthy behavior and emotions. It can be a helpful tool on its own or in combination with other therapies.

The types of cognitive-behavioral therapy may include:


Cognitive Therapy

A kind of therapy used to identify and change inaccurate, unrealistic, or distorted thought patterns, emotional responses, or behaviors

Multimodal Therapy

A type of therapy that addresses seven interconnected modalities, including affect, imagery, sensation, cognition, behavior, biology, and interpersonal factors

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

A type of therapy that addresses thoughts and behaviors while utilizing coping strategies like emotional regulation


Goals of Treatment with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy can effectively treat a range of different conditions. Professionals often prefer CBT for its specific and tailored approach.

Some of the goals of cognitive-behavioral therapy may include:

  • Managing the symptoms of mental illness
  • Treating a mental illness without medication
  • Preventing a relapse of mental illness symptoms
  • Coping with loss or grief
  • Overcoming emotional trauma from abuse or inciting events
  • Managing emotions effectively
  • Learning to resolve conflicts and communicate effectively
  • Coping with the symptoms of medical illnesses
  • Managing chronic physical symptoms

Some of the mental health disorders improved by cognitive behavioral therapy may include:

Healing Foundations Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Scottsdale AZ

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Techniques

Cognitive-behavioral therapy uses a range of strategies to manage thought patterns, including role-playing scenarios, relaxation techniques, journaling, and more.

  • Identify negative thoughts: Therapy helps people identify thoughts, feelings, and patterns that contribute to negative behaviors, helping them gain insights and coping strategies.
  • Practicing coping strategies: Individuals practice coping strategies during therapy in anticipation of using these strategies in real-world situations.
  • Setting goals: Therapy can help with goal setting to identify and implement changes that can improve quality of life and wellbeing. Therapists work with people to create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.
  • Learning problem-solving techniques: Problem-solving skills are valuable for people struggling with mental health conditions to cope with stressors and reduce the negative impact on their lives. These skills may include identifying the problem, coming up with possible solutions, evaluating their pros and cons, and choosing and implementing the best option.
  • Utilizing self-monitoring: This is a vital part of cognitive-behavioral therapy and often uses journaling or similar tasks to monitor behaviors, triggers, symptoms, and experiences.


Healing Foundations Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Scottsdale AZ

Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Effective?

Originating from the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck, cognitive behavioral therapy has been around since the 1960s. Early therapies focused on reinforcements and punishments to change behaviors, but Beck considered that negative thinking could contribute to emotional problems and developed a cognitive approach.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most studied types of treatment for mental health conditions. It can be effective for depression and anxiety to panic disorders and PTSD. CBT is also incredibly effective for eating disorders, insomnia, anxiety-related conditions, and depression in children and adolescents specifically.

For cognitive-behavioral therapy to be effective, people must commit to change and the sometimes-painful process to get there. The therapy is highly structured and focused, progress is gradual, but people can gain real-world coping skills and insights to improve their conditions.


Risks of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy carries little risk, especially compared to treatment options like medication. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, however. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on confronting thoughts and emotions tied to negativity, so it can be painful or uncomfortable. People may get upset and experience anger, sadness, grief, or frustration during the healing process.

With exposure therapy, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, people are forced to confront objects or situations that cause anxiety or discomfort, such as exposure to spiders in people who have a debilitating fear of spiders. This can cause stress or anxiety, but it’s temporary and used as a bridge to healthier thoughts and behaviors.

Working with a skilled mental health professional can minimize the risks of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Experienced professionals appreciate boundaries and can balance the rigorous approach necessary for the treatment to be effective without moving too quickly and causing unmanageable responses that can lead to setbacks.


Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Scottsdale at Healing Foundations Center

At Healing Foundations Center, our focus is on helping individuals develop self-introspection to heal from past and current traumas and find systematic healing for interpersonal relationships using a range of effective modalities, including cognitive-behavioral therapy. We treat various mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and complex trauma.

If you or a loved one are considering cognitive behavioral therapy to treat a mental health condition, contact us today to learn more about our treatment options.

Healing Foundations Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Scottsdale Arizona

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