Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

The focus of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is to look at the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

By recognizing negative thoughts and, how they make you feel and act, the individual can work to change patterns in the cycle of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and learn coping strategies and ways to replace the negative thoughts and feelings with positive ones.

It is a targeted, time limited therapy that often involves "homework" between sessions to think about the topic from the week's session and to practice a new strategy. For children, it also has a parent teaching component so the family can carry over and practice strategies learned to the home setting between sessions. Typically CBT involves 16-20 sessions or runs for about 4 months.