Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Sometimes you can understand something logically and still find yourself caught in the same worries, reactions, or habits.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, offers a practical way to look at the connections between what is happening, what goes through your mind, how you feel, and what you do next.
In-person CBT in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario
CBT is a structured therapy approach that looks at how situations, thoughts, emotions and behaviours can influence one another.
For example, worrying that something will go badly may lead to anxiety and avoidance. Avoiding it may bring relief in the moment while making the situation feel even harder the next time.
CBT helps us slow patterns like this down and look at where a different response may create change.
What Is CBT?
CBT Is Not About “Thinking Positive”
The goal is not to replace every uncomfortable thought with a positive one. Sometimes it is useful to look at a thought from another perspective. Other times, the more meaningful change may be in what you do next.
Understanding the Pattern
What Happened
The situation you were in or what was happening around you.
What Went Through Your Mind
Thoughts, assumptions, predictions, or meanings that showed up.
What You Felt
Emotions and physical reactions that came with the situation.
What You Did Next
How you responded, including things you did, avoided, or checked.
When Might CBT Be Helpful?
CBT may be considered when you notice the same worries, reactions, or habits showing up repeatedly.
Overthinking and worry
Recurring habits that are difficult to change
Second-guessing decisions
Self-criticism
Avoiding uncomfortable situations
Assumptions about what other people may think
Having one of these experiences does not automatically mean CBT is the right approach. We can first understand what has been happening and decide together whether CBT, another approach, or a combination may be useful.
What Can CBT Look Like in Therapy?
We may take a recent situation and slow it down enough to understand what happened, what went through your mind, how you felt, and what you did next.
Sometimes I may ask questions that help us look at an assumption or prediction differently. Other times, we may focus more on trying a different response and noticing what happens.
Practical strategies between sessions may sometimes be useful, but they should have a clear purpose and connect to what you are actually working on. Therapy should not feel like school or like you are being graded on whether you completed an assignment.