Hello, everybody, and thank you for your continued visitation. Take care, be well.
- What is CBT-informed counseling?
- With which problems can CBT/counseling help?
- I tried CBT before and it felt like my therapist was gaslighting me. How is CBT different from just telling someone to think positively?
- What can I expect for the first session? Do you provide a money-back guarantee?
- How is counseling different from talking to a friend?
What is CBT-informed counseling?
Our consultations comprise a combination of CBT and counseling. CBT in its strictest sense is a goal-oriented, time-limited therapy. It usually requires between six (6) and 25 sessions depending on the problem to help you learn to understand you thoughts, feelings, and behavior and to learn skills to make positive changes. CBT is known for its praticality; however, it sometimes fails to address issues that are not solvable by the skills it teaches.
Meanwhile, counseling tends to be less directive while still being goal-oriented. Counseling provides a more open space to explore your beliefs and worldview to make positive changes. Counseling is known for its openness and unconditional regard for its clients but can fall short for clients who are looking for practical skills.
With which problems can CBT/counseling help?
CBT and counseling can be used to help different problems or life stages:
- sadness/low mood
- self-consciousness, social anxiety
- excessive worry
- impostor syndrome
- dating problems, “nice guy” syndrome
- relationship or family problems
- gender/LGBTQ issues
- stress management, career concerns
- boredom, procrastination, lack of motivation
- obsessive–compulsive disorder
I tried CBT before and it felt like my therapist was gaslighting me. How is CBT different from just telling someone to think positively?
It is true that thinking positively is one skill or component of CBT; however, the effectiveness of CBT also depends on the skill of the therapist and the relationship between yourself (client) and the therapist. A skilled CBT therapist can help you to challenge negative thinking without directly confronting the negative thoughts you experience and without debating yourself in a negative thinking spiral or rumination. Instead, your therapist can help you trace the origin of your negative thinking, connect it to your everyday negative thoughts, and help you to externalize and question your thinking patterns through constructive dialogue and experiments designed to test your negative thinking.
What can I expect for the first session? Do you provide a money-back guarantee?
You can expect me to introduce myself. Then I’ll ask you to describe as best you can how your problem(s) started and how you experience the problem on a daily basis. You can also expect us to collaboratively set initial goals should you decide to pursue future sessions with me.
I offer a no-questions-asked refund policy for the first session in case you are unsatisfied with my service.
How is counseling different from talking to a friend?
Different therapeutic modalities have different approaches to therapy—but counseling emphasizes impartiality from the therapist that helps you find solutions on your own. A counselor will generally refrain from providing direct advice and instead guide you through whatever the problem is with active listening and directed curiosity.