CBT: A Personal Trainer for your Thoughts

Do you worry a lot?

Do you get stuck thinking about past mistakes and regrets?

Do you feel self-conscious about what other people think about you?

Does your mind frequently go to the worst case scenario?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help with that. CBT is a commonly used tool in evidence-based counseling to help individuals gain more control over their thoughts to achieve improved mood, better self-esteem, and decreased anxiety. Many people struggle with unhelpful thinking habits, but don’t know how to stop them.

Have you ever tried to NOT THINK ABOUT something? How well did that work out for you? If you’re like a lot of people, it is not enough to simply not think about something.

Let’s do an experiment. What happens if I say to you “Whatever you do right now- don’t think about chocolate!”? If you’re like me — and most others, I’m instantly making a list of all the things that I’m not supposed to be thinking about: chocolate bon-bons, gooey hot fudge, and how great Trader Joe’s chocolate ice cream is. I can almost taste it. Not thinking about things doesn’t usually work for most people. It may even make the problem worse.

A CBT therapist can help you restructure your thoughts and give you tools of what to think about instead. It’s like having your very own personal trainer… but for your thoughts!

You might be thinking, “Why do I need a personal trainer for my thoughts?” I’ll tell you:

• We can’t change what we can’t see. Since unhelpful thought patterns are invisible — oftentimes chronic and ingrained — it can be hard for most people to even recognize them. An outside perspective can give you increased insight into your own unhelpful thinking tendencies.
• A CBT therapist can give you access to the most up to date research and teach you strategies that are proven to work. It is one thing to know when something is wrong, but it is quite another to know what to do about it.
• A personal CBT coach will keep you motivated so that you do not give up. A common side effect of stress is avoidance. Ever felt the urge to run away from a problem? That’s the stress response. A therapist can gently hold you accountable for your goals and help you stay on track to get the results that you want.
• Overcoming unhelpful thought patterns is hard work. Why do it alone? Most people are overcoming years of unhelpful thought patterns when they first come to therapy. It can be helpful to have work alongside a warm and understanding therapist to encourage you in this process.

What are some of the unhelpful thought patterns that you wish you could change?

If you think others could benefit from reading this, then please leave a few claps to give them access to it.

Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW #64284 is a Bay Area psychotherapist who specializes in burnout prevention. She is an expert practitioner of Dialectical Behavior Therapy — a counseling style that combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other change-based skills with mindfulness and other acceptance-based strategies. Find out more: www.annacedar.com .

Sign up for A Self-Care Moment newsletter and never miss an update.