Areas of Specialization - Adults

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Healthy Living

Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches individuals to become aware of how they perceive stress, helps them to understand how their perception influences their reactions and responses, and teaches them to develop and maintain skills to deal with stress. The objective of treatment is not to completely eliminate stress, as that would be an unrealistic and unhealthy goal. Thus the purpose of therapy is teach the individual to reduce their stress to a manageable level, thereby increasing their sense of control and self-esteem.

Specific areas to target for intervention include:

Career difficulties such as problems with the boss or coworkers, trouble concentrating or finding the motivation to perform the job, workaholism and burnout, insecurities about job performance, lack of satisfaction or meaning with career, balancing life outside of work, and adjusting to a change in roles or promotion.

Relationship difficulties or a lack of social support can tremendously impact an individual's stress level. Problematic relationships can result in feeling helpless, undermined, insecure, resentful, and overwhelmed. Learning assertiveness, social skills, good communication, anger management, or specific parenting skills are certain types of cognitive behavioral interventions targeting stress reduction and conflict resolution.

Healthy lifestyles can protect individuals from negative physical and psychological affects of stress. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing unhealthy behaviors to improve one's ability to cope with stress. Smoking and using drugs or alcohol are examples of maladaptive behaviors people use to counteract stress in their lives. Another common problem that results from stress is compulsive overeating, obesity and poor exercise habits.
Thus, cognitive behavioral therapy for stress management involves identifying stressful situations, altering dysfunctional thoughts and stopping damaging behavioral responses to stress. Throughout treatment healthy, rational thinking and appropriate behavioral responses are taught and reinforced. The client is expected to practice exercises and complete assignments involving the reinforcement of these changed thought patterns and positive behaviors.

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