CBT Specialists of Chicago
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CBT Specialists of Chicago

What is CBT?

 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that focuses on the link between thoughts, behavior, physical reactions within the body, and emotions. Many people seek out CBT because it has been established as an empirically validated form of treatment. This means that research has shown CBT to be the most effective form of treatment for several conditions, including mood and anxiety disorders.

CBT focuses on your current experiences, working to change negative thought patterns and ineffective behavior and helping clients to understand the mind-body connection. Cognitive behavioral therapists are trained to understand the importance of a client’s background, family dynamics, and personal history, but the focus of therapy is on collaboration, education, and achieving tangible results. In CBT, you will receive instruction in techniques to help you cope more actively and manage your moods more effectively.

Treatment is goal oriented and can be time limited. Techniques include challenging ineffective thought patterns, relaxation training to help reduce stress and anxiety, activity scheduling to enhance time management and life balance, and addressing ineffective behaviors (e.g. avoidance or compulsions) that maintain negative emotion, Research has shown that clients who use these techniques improve more rapidly and continue to improve even after therapy ends. CBT is often the treatment of choice for clients who are not interested in medication or who want or need to discontinue medications they have been taking.

CBT is:
  • Focused on the present
  • Collaborative
  • Educational
  • Solution focused
  • Time limited
  • Goal oriented

CBT is proven to be effective for treating:
  • Depression
  • Bipolar spectrum disorders
  • Panic attacks
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Generalized anxiety
  • Social anxiety, including fear of public speaking
  • Phobias, including fear of flying, heights, needles, and other triggers
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Other mood and anxiety disorders
  • Insomnia and sleep disruption  

CBT provides a framework for understanding how thought patterns affect our reactions to change and how well we adjust to life events. It can be used to enhance coping with issues related to:
  • Family planning
  • Pregnancy
  • Postpartum adjustment
  • Parenthood
  • Difficulties in relationships
  • Career transitions
  • Health challenges
  • Loss
  • And other transitions or crises

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