Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in NYC
Living in New York City comes with unique challenges. Over time, the stress of corporate environments, fast-paced environments, and high costs of living can take their toll. Your drive to succeed and thrive may be working for you even as it works against you. This has led many driven individuals to pursue psychotherapy (and, specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy) in NYC.
Psychotherapy is one of the primary treatments for people struggling with mental health challenges. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy. Its goal is to help you identify and manage problems that affect your emotional and mental well-being.
Our diverse team at Healthy Minds NYC in Midtown East, Manhattan, uses many evidence-based modalities. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one such modality. We’ve found it’s an effective choice for individuals with a broad range of needs.
To schedule a free therapy consultation at our office in New York City, use the online booking tool today.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Q&A
What is cognitive-behavioral therapy?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy. It teaches you how to recognize and cope with unhealthy thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
The therapy is based on the following principles:
Unhealthy thinking contributes to psychological problems
Unhealthy behaviors and habits affect psychological well-being
You can learn better ways to cope with, and overcome,your problems
The goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to change your negative pattern of thinking. Breaking dysfunctional patterns will alleviate your mental health symptoms.
What conditions benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy?
Many mental health conditions can improve with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Our team at Healthy Minds NYC may use CBT to help you manage your:
Depression
Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Sexual dysfunction
Phobias
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Alcohol or drug use
Marriage problems
And more!
Our team may also use CBT for clients struggling with stress. During therapy, you will learn healthier ways to manage stressful situations.
CBT is beneficial for people with a variety of mental health conditions. Still, it’s not always the best therapy for all situations. Our team at Healthy Minds NYC offers many treatment options and works with you to find the therapy methods that fit your needs.
What is the benefit of cognitive-behavioral therapy for ADHD?
Many individuals with ADHD experience issues with executive functioning. Executive functioning skills include everything from self-control to flexibility of thought. As a result, those with ADHD may have more difficulty managing and controlling their impulses. This can cause or exacerbate stress in some individuals.
When living with ADHD, it’s common to develop strategies to cope with poor executive functioning skills. Over time, these coping strategies may turn into patterns. CBT allows those with ADHD to evaluate their own thinking. Often, this helps make decisions about which strategies are causing more harm than good.
Many individuals with ADHD find that CBT can help them learn to better direct their focus to boost productivity. As a result, they experience reduced stress levels.
We have found that CBT works best in combination with other therapies and wellness strategies. At Healthy Minds NYC, some clients also rely on medication management and engage in life coaching to manage their mental health alongside Cognitive-behavioral therapy. In essence, CBT can be one important component of a comprehensive wellness plan.
What is the benefit of cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety?
Individuals with anxiety tend to develop unhelpful thought patterns. These patterns can negatively impact their ability to engage with the world around them.
During cognitive-behavioral therapy, anxious individuals can challenge these patterns in a safe, supportive environment.
CBT offers an opportunity to practice metacognition, or “thinking about the way you think.” First, you will learn to approach and change your anxious thoughts with support. Over time, you will gain the skills necessary to challenge them outside of the therapeutic environment.
Furthermore, psychotherapy provides an opportunity to learn new, effective, and healthy coping strategies. For example, you might learn breathing and relaxation techniques to employ in high-anxiety scenarios. These are tools you can use for the rest of your life.
What happens during cognitive-behavioral therapy?
The specifics of your CBT at Healthy Minds NYC depend on your diagnosis. Your therapist may incorporate CBT into your individual or couples therapy.
CBT is a goal-oriented therapy that focuses on a specific issue. Thus, your therapist first works with you to help you identify the problem. Then, they help you recognize your negative or distorted thoughts related to that problem.
Over time, you will begin to see your negative or distorted thoughts from a different perspective. From there, your therapist teaches you how to change your negative thought patterns surrounding the problem. You’ll be empowered to create new, more helpful interpretations of your circumstances to lead you to a more positive emotional experience and new actions that get you better results.
Changing your thought process and thinking patterns can help improve your mental and emotional well-being. As a result, it can alleviate your symptoms.
CBT also helps you gain a better understanding of other people’s behaviors and motivations. You may also learn healthy ways to cope with difficult situations and how to calm your mind and relax your body.
Additionally, CBT may help you gain more confidence in yourself and your abilities.
To schedule a consultation to see if cognitive-behavioral therapy is right for you, request an appointment online today
“CBT is in motion when a person analyzes, interprets, and controls his thoughts consciously.”
— Helen Campbell