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Anxiety & OCD Specialists • (408) 384-8404 |
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) in San Jose
Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA, MA, LMFT, Cognitive Behavior Therapist • (408) 384-8404
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a practical, goal-oriented form of therapy that is focused on the present and future to help you solve current problems as well as resolve long-standing issues that are affecting you today.
Research shows cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works exceptionally well with anxiety disorders, depression, OCD and eating disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (
CBT) is a not a single approach or technique but, rather, a general framework to helping you solve current problems.
CBT includes a number of evidence-based therapies such as cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, exposure therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), positive psychology and others.
In CBT, you'll learn skills that you can use for the rest of your life to maintain a more positive mood and reduce relapse. The skills you'll learn include identifying your thinking, behavioral and emotional patterns, modifying thoughts and beliefs that aren't helping you, changing your behavior in situations that can be changed, accepting situations that can't be changed, and relating to other people in new ways.
What are the features of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Goal-Oriented: You won't just talk about your problems. I'll help you set clear, measurable goals for therapy and develop action plans to reach them. We'll monitor progress toward reaching your goals using brief surveys. I'll coach you along the way to make sure you stay on track.
Based on Science and Research: In hundreds of research studies, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective for a wide variety of problems. For anxiety, depression, OCD and eating disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard.
Practical and Concrete: In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), I will help you develop concrete plans to solve the problems you wanted addressed in therapy. I won't deviate to topics from your childhood if it doesn't seem relevant. We'll work on skills to increase positive emotions, optimism and resilience while letting go of unhelpful ways of thinking, problematic behaviors and intense emotions.
Active and Collaborative: We'll work as partners and I will serve as your teacher and coach. You'll learn new skills and information to help you think and act differently in your daily life. We'll identify ways you can practice the skills during the week and I will coach you along the way to ensure you stay on track and feel supported.
Compassionate and Client-Oriented: An effective cognitive behavioral therapist balances acceptance and change. I will listen to you closely, empathize with your problems and validate your strengths. I want to develop a warm and trusting relationship with you so we can be partners in this process.
Here are some good articles in the media about CBT:
What will I learn in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) includes a variety of cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal and experiential techniques to influence emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you will improve how you feel by:
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Becoming more aware of how your thinking affects your behavior and emotions
- Asking yourself questions and performing behavioral experiments to test the validity of your emotionally-charged reactions
- Developing more realistic assessments of situations in your life
- Managing your self-talk by examining unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with more positive thoughts
- Accepting the things you can't change and changing the things you can
- Exposing yourself to situations that you fear in order to reduce anxiety
- Learning many other skills to manage anxiety, worry, stress, panic, depression, social anxiety, OCD, phobias, and eating disorders and other problematic behaviors.
What is a typical cognitive behavioral therapy session like?
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) sessions follow a structure. The reason for this is to make sure we stay focused on your goals. Without this structure, it's possible that therapy sessions could become unfocused and unproductive. For example, at work, a good meeting leader sets an agenda, keeps time, makes sure the agenda items are covered, and assigns follow-up tasks to team members. Learn more here about What To Expect in the Counseling Process.
After the initial assessment phase, the typical cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) session generally follows this format:
Before Session:
- You'll complete a brief mood survey before the session. I keep the survey in the waiting area so you can fill it out when you arrive.
During Session:
- Check-in and review of brief mood survey - We'll talk about the results of the mood survey and you will share highlights of your week with me, both the good news as well as the challenges.
- Homework Review - I'll ask you how you did with last week's homework including what you did well and where you need some help.
- Agenda - I'll ask you if there's something you'd like to work on in today's session. This is the part of the session where we'll roll up our sleeves to figure out what's driving the problem and consider ways you might handle it or new skills you can learn.
- New Homework - Together, we'll identify a few things you can do this week to help you move closer to achieving your goals.
- Wrap Up - We'll summarize the session and confirm our appointment for next week.
After Session:
- You'll fill out a therapy evaluation before you leave providing me with feedback on how well I am serving you. Your satisfaction is of utmost importance to me. I want to be sure that I am meeting your needs, and, if I'm not, then I'll make changes to be more effective for you.
Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA, MA, LMFT
Certified Cognitive Therapist by the Academy of Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, MFC48807
1475 Saratoga Avenue, Suite 168
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 384-8404
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Laura L.C. Johnson, MBA MA LMFT, Certified Cognitive Therapist. San Jose Therapy and Counseling. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc. is a professional corporation owned by Laura Johnson.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, Adult & Child Counseling, Inc. is a professional corporation owned by Laura Johnson.
Therapy and Counseling in San Jose for Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Eating and Sleep Disorders.