Cognitive Therapies

What are cognitive therapies?
CBT focuses on how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact. A CBT approach asks, what life situations cause you to feel upset, what thoughts do you have during that distress, and what emotions do you feel at that time? And importantly, what actions (behaviors) do you take when you are feeling and thinking this way? Do they help you or not, and what do these experiences tell you about yourself? Are you happy with these experiences or do you want to change them?

How do cognitive therapies help in counseling?
As it turns out, the beliefs and thoughts you have about yourself, life, and others, deeply influences difficulties you might have. If we are unaware of connections between what we think and believe, how we respond, and what we say to ourselves and others, it can keep us stuck in old negative feelings and thoughts that do not serve our greater good.

CBT is an empowering technique you can learn to apply in many life areas because it teaches you to become aware of your unique patterns of thought, and how you typically respond; once noticed, you're free to change the responses, and teach yourself how to think or feel differently about upsetting situations. Most of the therapies I use, including energy and bodily focused therapies, have a strong cognitive or thinking component.


Book an online appointment today for Cognitive Therapies with Diana J Bowen.