In his book, Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, Aaron Beck eloquently describes his work with a young teenager who was suicidal. The young boy was alarmingly negative, and his parents and school officials were concerned about his destructive thoughts and comments. Over time, with many sessions together, Beck led the boy…
New Affirmations
CBT in the form of affirmations can be a great help in your quest for a healthy weight and body image. You might find some of the following statements useful: The world is a safe place for me. There’s always enough. I am in harmony within myself and with…
Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are sudden rushes of fear and dread, usually accompanied by sweating, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, trembling, choking, sensations of unreality, chest discomfort, hot flashes or chills, fears of going crazy, or fears of dying. Panic attacks are not the result of a physical condition, such as…
Create a Haven of Safety
It is unfortunately impossible to control all the aspects of life that make you nervous, but there is considerable choice among certain aspects of your life. It can help to develop a routine and a predictable set of rituals that make you feel calm. Perhaps create a space in your home that…
Getting Out of Negative Cycles
The first step to getting out of a negative spiral is to become aware of it occur-ring. Oftentimes the habit is so deeply ingrained that it seems a natural part of life. One almost becomes resigned to the inevitability of the negative. After Awareness, What? The awareness is a jolt. For example,…
How Will You Know You Are Finished?
More than likely there will be a discussion at the beginning of CBT when the client and therapist talk in detail about the nature of their work together. Usually there will be an agreed-upon number of sessions at the outset with gentle reminders along the way, especially as the course of treatment…
Tracking Down Harmful Beliefs
When a child or teenager is distraught, it is always helpful to quietly ask how he feels and what is going on. Ask what happened earlier in the day. Patiently listen as he tries to formulate words around the disturbing situa-tion, resisting the temptation to put words in his mouth as he…
Core Beliefs about Mental Health
In order to decide what the focus will be in your CBT work, you have to know what you’re working with. In other words, some archeological excavation will be necessary in order to determine the cause of your difficulties. You are going exploring to look for your core beliefs, the bedrock of…