Cognitive behavioral therapy

CBT can take place in both individual and group therapy settings. The main goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to help you identify patterns of negative thoughts or actions, with the intent of replacing those negative patterns with positive patterns to create a healthier, more positive life.

In your initial sessions with your Geode therapist, you’ll be encouraged to be open and honest with your feelings. The purpose is to uncover exactly what brings about negative thoughts and emotions. To help you focus on the positive steps you need to take to get better, cognitive behavioral therapy sessions work on a goal-oriented basis. Your Geode therapist may assign homework, tasks, journaling, or other activities to help build upon or reinforce what you covered during your therapy sessions together.

In simple terms, the goals of CBT can be broken down as follows:

• Identify the conditions and/or situations in your life that create negativity

• Establish awareness of the thoughts you have around those conditions

• Identify the negative thinking that accompanies those conditions

• Reshape negative thinking so you can approach those situations more clearly

Not every instance of cognitive behavioral therapy will employ all of these tactics. The end goal is to help you change your behavioral patterns and tendencies from negative to positive. You and your Geode therapist will work together to create the best treatment plan and environment for you.