ABOUT COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY (CBT) TORONTO

Treatment for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are among the most debilitating psychological conditions experienced today by millions of people worldwide. People with anxiety disorders tend to catastrophize or overestimate the likelihood and the intensity of threat and danger and tend to find it difficult to tolerate uncertainty and doubt. Therefore catching and correcting your catastrophic style of thinking is an important strategy for reducing fear and anxiety.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a treatment that teaches people how to shift their thoughts and beliefs to be more realistic. The way we think influences the way we feel. Therefore changing how we think can change how we feel. The therapy focuses on everyday experiences to teach how to change your thinking and implement action plans to reduce anxiety.

Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder in which a cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsions can cause significant emotional pain and impairment in a person’s ability to function. Obsessions come in the form of unwanted and distressing intrusive thoughts, images or urges. They are often accompanied by uncomfortable or intense feelings of fear, anxiety, doubt, disgust and/or worry.

The range of OCD fears and rituals is limitless. Like obsessions, compulsions can take up a considerable amount of time and get in the way of life. Although compulsions seem to be helpful in the short term the obsessions typically return as strong as ever reinforcing the cycle.

This treatment is Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a type of CBT. Using Exposure Response Prevention clients learn to tolerate their anxiety without performing rituals.

Cognitive Behavioral Marriage Counselling / Couples Therapy

Many couples wrestle with communication. Issues can range from faulty communication about wants and needs to a complete lack of any meaningful exchange. Not having a way to understand each other can lead to resentment, hopelessness, helplessness, lack of empathy, anger and betrayal. People sometimes have little time to give each other to improve their relationships. Marriage therapy or couples counselling can be a wonderful place to build on what is working and look at what is not working. In couples counselling you will learn new perspectives and more effective ways of interacting in a safe and neutral space so that things start to change for the better and stay positive! Cognitive behavioral couples therapy is a highly effective process to assist couples experiencing relationship distress.

Skin Picking Disorder

Skin Picking Disorder refers to recurrent picking or squeezing of the skin that can cause damage skin tissue. Recurrent picking can cause significant distress and interfere with daily activities. Any area of skin on the body may be targeted. When picking episodes provide immediate desirable relief from unwanted sensations. However it keeps the behaviour pattern continuing and may be more challenging to overcome.

The Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB) is the treatment method that I use to help my clients with skin picking. Numerous research studies demonstrate its effectiveness. It can give you, as it has for others, the tools to change your behaviour patterns and to modify your thoughts and feelings that have fueled your skin picking. Treatment is a healing process that may seem challenging but by taking it slowly with patience and perseverance healing is possible for the majority of individuals.

Hair Pulling Disorder

Hair Pulling Disorder involves repetitive pulling out of the hair from one’s scalp, face or anywhere on the body resulting in hair loss. It is a self-grooming behaviour in which people pull their hair. Hair pulling varies in its severity, location on the body, and response to treatment. Without treatment, hair pulling tends to be a chronic condition that can come and go over the course of one’s life. It can cause intense distress and shame as it can result in significant hair loss which one attempts to camouflage. Hair pulling can lead to tension and strained relationships with family members and friends who might also benefit from professional help.

A wide range of emotions, spanning from boredom to anxiety, frustration, and sadness can affect hair pulling as can one’s thoughts, beliefs, and values.

The Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB) is the treatment method that I use to help my clients with hair pulling. Numerous research studies demonstrate its effectiveness. It can give you, as it has for others, the tools to change your behaviour patterns and to modify your thoughts and feelings that have fueled your hair pulling.

Body Image and Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a serious and treatable disorder in which people spend a lot of time worrying and ruminating about their perceived flaws in one or more aspects of their physical appearance. People with Body Dysmorphic Disorder believe that they look disfigured, abnormal, ugly or deformed. They think about their appearance at least an hour a day. Their perception of their appearance may lead to shame, anxiety despair, overly critical thoughts about their appearance. They begin to avoid social situations and leave the house less often. People with BDD may seek out others reassurance and seek out unnecessary cosmetic surgeries or other cosmetic treatments to fix their perceived flaws because they see their problems as something physical that needs to be changed.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder treatment involves cognitive behaviour therapy and often medication. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is the only psychological treatment for Body Dysmorphic Disorder that is strongly supported by research. Treatment will focus on learning how negative thoughts, emotions and behaviours maintain the problem and it will involve learning to view your appearance and your life differently. You will slowly learn more realistic thinking about your body image. The goal is to improve your quality of life and lessen the distress caused by your appearance related concerns. You will learn how to manage urges and to reduce reassurance seeking and checking.

Treatment for Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you think, feel and behave. It may include a lack of pleasure in activities you once enjoyed. Sometimes people dwell on past mistakes or experiences in which they felt shame or guilt. You may feel like sleeping the whole day. It can be a struggle to make decisions. You may interpret situations in a negative way and take on a negative outlook.

It is normal for people to feel down and anxious in response to a difficult life event such as work stress, loss of a job, going through a separation or the loss of a loved one. Perhaps you are finding it hard to connect with others. Maybe you’re having difficulties being present and productive at work. These feelings are normal reactions to some of life’s stressors and challenges in everyday life. When your sad mood continues for two weeks or longer and occurs most of the day it may indicate depression.

Cognitive behaviour therapy and its effectiveness for relieving symptoms of depression have been demonstrated repeatedly. Regardless of the cause of your depression if you have suffered a loss and cannot seem to bounce back or are experiencing feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, cognitive behaviour therapy can be helpful for you. Cognitive behaviour therapists focus more on the current situation and its solution rather than on the past. We challenge your negative thinking and develop strategies to change your behaviour and achieve your goals in life.

Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

For some people exposure to traumatic or stressful life events may lead to problems with anxiety and other emotions such as sadness, loss, guilt and disgust as well as symptoms such as intrusive thoughts and memories of the trauma, physical and emotional reactions to cues and avoidance of situations related to the trauma. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that can develop after one experiences events that involve actual or threatened serious injury or death. Symptoms can develop after experiencing the trauma directly, by witnessing the traumatic events happening to others, learning about the events happening to loved ones or by repeated exposure to the details of these types of events such as by first responders, police officers and with military veterans. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often involves anxiety, depression and substance misuse. People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may have difficulty with their close friends and family relationships.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment helps to restore a healthy life by rebuilding trust in yourself and others. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an evidence-based treatment that will help you redevelop a more secure and comfortable life and help you learn new coping skills to address your symptoms. You will learn how to think differently about your trauma and painful memories so that you can feel better.