Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Specialist
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Psychology Beverly Hills
Psychologists & Therapists located in Beverly Hills, CA
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of structured psychotherapy that’s backed by studies showing its effectiveness for treating many psychological disorders. Dr. Payam Kharazi and the team of caring clinicians at Psychology Beverly Hills have extensive experience using several types of CBT to create individualized therapy that meets each person’s unique goals. To learn more, request a free telephone consultation or schedule an appointment by calling the office in Beverly Hills, California. You can also request an in-person or telehealth appointment online.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Q & A
What is CBT?
CBT refers to a group of therapies based on the principle that your perceptions and how you think determine your behaviors and feelings. Many people develop unhealthy or distorted thought patterns that result in problematic behaviors and negative feelings.
To give you an example, one type of distorted thought process is taking an all-or-none approach. If you have all-or-none thinking, you may believe you’re a complete failure just because you underperformed on one test.
During CBT, your Psychology Beverly Hills therapist helps you explore and identify your thoughts. Then you learn how to challenge those thoughts, compare them with facts, and purposefully change them to fit reality.
As you restructure your thoughts, you can change your beliefs, behaviors, and feelings. Those changes set the stage for improving your life and eliminating the symptoms of your mental health problem.
When would I need CBT?
One of the great things about CBT is that Psychology Beverly Hills can structure it to work for anyone 12 and older. Role-playing, using pictures, and play therapy are a few techniques that work with young clients.
CBT can improve the symptoms associated with many psychiatric conditions, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- ADHD
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Phobias
- Eating disorders
- Panic disorder
- Anger management
CBT helps you recognize and resolve emotions like frustration and irritation before they suddenly blow up into extreme anger.
What happens during CBT?
CBT takes a highly structured approach. Your therapist works with you to define your challenges and the goals you want to achieve. Then they create specific tasks and strategies to follow that teach you how to recognize and examine your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
One common CBT approach is “homework” to perform between your sessions. For example, your therapist may ask you to take notes about one or two times you’ve felt angry or anxious (depending on your goals) between therapy sessions. Then they can use the information to help you see and challenge negative thought patterns.
What are the different types of CBT?
These are two examples of the different types of CBT:
Cognitive restructuring
This is the classic approach that focuses on identifying inaccurate thought patterns and learning techniques to change them.
Rational emotive behavior therapy
With this approach, you focus on identifying irrational beliefs. Then you challenge those beliefs and learn how to change the negative thought patterns associated with them.
If you have questions about CBT, call Psychology Beverly Hills or request an in-person or telehealth appointment online today.
