Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that recognizes a fundamental truth: your emotions are messengers, not symptoms of illness. CBT focuses on the interconnected relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It understands that problematic patterns have been learned through life experiences and can therefore be unlearned and replaced with more effective ways of responding. We specialize in serving adolescents and adults ages 12 and older.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Scientific Approach
We will help you understand that your emotions, whether anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, or loss, are providing crucial information about legitimate problems in your life that need attention. These feelings signal areas requiring change, unresolved experiences, or learned patterns that no longer serve you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies take a scientific approach to understanding how your current struggles developed. We explore how problem behaviors were learned through past experiences, environmental factors, relationships, and life circumstances. By understanding the context in which these patterns formed, you gain the power to recognize when and why they occur. Most importantly, you learn how to change them.
Unlike passive talk therapies, CBT is an active, goal-focused approach that emphasizes skill development to create lasting behavioral change. You will learn to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns, develop new coping strategies, and create sustainable changes that extend far beyond therapy.
Specialized Interventions
Decades of rigorous scientific research have demonstrated the effectiveness of specific CBT approaches for particular conditions. Our specialized interventions are backed by extensive clinical trials and outcome studies:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment that teaches practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and creating lasting behavioral change. Originally developed for Borderline Personality Disorder, DBT now effectively treats a wide range of conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and PTSD. The “dialectical” approach balances acceptance of yourself as you are with commitment to positive change, teaching four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT combines individual therapy sessions, group skills training, and real-time phone coaching to provide comprehensive support when you need it most. Research consistently demonstrates DBT’s effectiveness in reducing self-destructive behaviors while improving emotional stability and quality of life, making it invaluable for anyone who struggles with overwhelming emotions or relationship difficulties.
Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is proven to be a highly effective therapy for Social Anxiety, Phobias, Panic Attacks, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other concerns.
When people are fearful or anxious about something, they often avoid the things they fear.While these avoidance strategies tend to bring immediate relief in the short term, they ultimately make the problem worse. Exposure therapies break this pattern of fear and avoidance by creating a safe environment for you to face the things that you fear and avoid. Through this process, you can reduce your anxiety and put an end to the avoidance patterns
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective therapy for intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors associated with OCD, with studies showing 60-85% of individuals experiencing significant relief. The exposure component of ERP refers to practicing confronting the thoughts, images, objects, and situations that make you anxious and/or provoke your obsessions. The response prevention part of ERP refers to making a choice not to do a compulsive behavior once the anxiety or obsessions have been “triggered.” All of this is done under the guidance of a therapist at the beginning — though you will eventually learn to do your own ERP exercises to help manage your symptoms. Over time, the treatment will “retrain your brain” to no longer see the object of the obsession as a threat.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is one of the most extensively researched interventions for Post Traumatic Stress, with numerous clinical trials demonstrating significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, depression, and trauma-related guilt and shame. CPT provides a way to understand why recovery from traumatic events is difficult and how symptoms of PTSD affect daily life. An important part of the treatment is addressing ways of thinking that might keep individuals “stuck” and get in the way of recovery from symptoms of PTSD and other problems.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a highly effective, evidence-based therapy specifically designed for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This structured approach helps individuals process traumatic memories and reduce PTSD symptoms by safely confronting trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and situations that have been avoided since the traumatic event.
PE involves two main components: imaginal exposure, where you repeatedly recount the traumatic memory in a safe therapeutic environment, and in-vivo exposure, where you gradually approach safe situations, places, or activities you’ve been avoiding due to trauma-related fear. Through repeated, controlled exposure to these memories and situations, your brain learns that the memories themselves are not dangerous, and your anxiety naturally decreases over time.
Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
CBT-E is a specialized, evidence-based therapy designed for all types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. This structured approach helps you identify and change the dysfunctional thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that drive disordered eating patterns while addressing underlying issues such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, and difficulty managing emotions. Research demonstrates that CBT-E is one of the most effective treatments available for eating disorders, with lasting improvements in both eating behaviors and overall psychological well-being.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is an evidence-based therapy that combines mindfulness strategies with behavior change techniques to help you live a more fulfilling life aligned with your personal values. Rather than focusing on eliminating difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT teaches you to accept these experiences while developing psychological flexibility to respond more effectively to life’s challenges. Through mindfulness exercises, values clarification, and commitment to meaningful action, ACT helps you break free from patterns of avoidance and create lasting behavioral change. Research shows ACT is highly effective for treating anxiety, depression, chronic pain, substance use, and many other conditions while improving overall quality of life.