CBT – Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
A focused, structured, research-based therapeutic approach.
At times, we find ourselves repeating the same thoughts, reactions, and behaviors, even when they cause us distress and impair our quality of life.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT focuses on identifying the connections between thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and behaviors, and understanding how these patterns may maintain psychological difficulties.
Through structured therapeutic work and gradual practice, it is possible to develop more flexible and helpful ways of thinking and coping.
Issues CBT can help address
Anxiety and panic attacks
Identifying threatening thoughts, reducing avoidance, and developing skills for coping with situations that provoke anxiety.
Phobias and specific fears
Gradual work with situations that evoke fear through individually tailored exposure.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Treating obsessive thoughts and compulsive rituals, including through exposure and response prevention (ERP).
Depression
Addressing negative thinking patterns, avoidance, and reduced activity and motivation.
Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral interventions, according to the individual's condition and needs.
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD)
Individually tailored work on difficulties with emotional regulation, self-perception, and relationships, as part of a therapeutic process that addresses the complexity of trauma.
Difficulties with emotional regulation
Developing skills for coping with emotional overwhelm, anger, frustration, and stressful situations.
Sleep difficulties
Identifying habits and patterns that maintain insomnia and using appropriate behavioral and cognitive tools.
ADHD - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Developing strategies for organization, time management, coping with procrastination, and improving daily functioning.
These are examples of some of the issues that can be addressed within the therapeutic process, alongside a wide range of other difficulties and challenges.
How does therapy work?
Therapy is based on the understanding that the way we interpret situations influences our emotions and reactions.
For example, someone who fears failure may interpret every mistake as evidence of a lack of ability. This interpretation may evoke anxiety and lead to avoidance that prevents them from gaining corrective experiences.
During therapy, we learn to identify patterns of this kind and explore other possible responses.
Depending on the difficulty, the work may include examining automatic thoughts, behavioral experiments, gradual exposure to situations that evoke fear, practicing skills, and actions that promote change in everyday life.
How does the therapeutic process unfold?
The process begins with a clinical assessment and identification of the main difficulties, the factors that trigger them, and the patterns that maintain them.
Clear therapeutic goals are then defined, and a work plan is developed that is tailored to the individual's needs.
Sessions include conversation, learning, and practicing therapeutic tools. At times, assignments are also given between sessions to enable the skills to be applied in everyday settings.
Progress is reviewed throughout the process, and the plan is adjusted according to the response to therapy and the goals that have been defined.
What characterizes my work with CBT?
In my work, I tailor cognitive-behavioral tools to the person's characteristics, the complexity of the difficulty, and their current stage in the process.
Alongside the focused work, my background in integrative psychotherapy with a psychodynamic approach enables me to recognize when a deeper exploration of life experiences and enduring emotional patterns is also needed.
Interventions are selected according to clinical need, while distinguishing between focused CBT treatment and a broader psychotherapeutic process.
The aim of therapy is not only to understand what triggers distress, but also to acquire tools that make it possible to cope with it differently, strengthen the sense of capability, and create change that can be applied in everyday life.