Treatment Options
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Kathy received advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT) at The Cambridge Hospital in the Behavioral Medicine Department.
CBT is the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders such as phobias, generalized anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as depression. These methods are based on scientific evidence and have been proven to be effective in treating many disorders.
The foundation of this work is a collaborative relationship between therapist and client starting with identifying and prioritizing goals for the therapy.
CBT helps you understand the thoughts and feelings that influence you. It focuses on present-day concerns and can help you change how you think and what you do. In CBT, we start by identifying your problematic beliefs and automatic thoughts, learning to identify and correct distortions. Then, we might focus on the behaviors that contribute to the problem. You will learn and practice new skills that will help you face your problems in new ways.
CBT is a time-limited and short-term treatment approach. Using this method, you may start to question a self-critical or upsetting thought and replace it with a more realistic one you have developed in therapy. Or, you may learn to recognize when you are about to do something that will make you feel worse and instead do something more helpful.
CBT can also be very effective in treating insomnia.
Studies have shown that psychological and behavioral factors play an important role in insomnia and that CBT can be effective in treating insomnia. A 2006 review of insomnia treatment studies conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that CBT can help improve sleep, and that benefits can be sustained over a long period of time.
