Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Treatment in Maryland
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective part of anxiety therapy in Maryland.
Anxiety is a common and often debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While it's a natural response to stress, anxiety can become overwhelming and interfere with daily life. The good news is that there are effective treatments available for anxiety therapy in Maryland, one of the most prominent being Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Understanding CBT
So, what is CBT exactly? It's all about understanding the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Imagine these three buddies (your thoughts, feelings and actions) are constantly sending text messages to each other. When you experience anxiety, it can be like a group text gone a bit wrong – negative thoughts trigger uncomfortable feelings, which then lead to not-so-great behaviors, or even set off a panic attack. The negative thoughts usually have a tiny kernel of truth that help us understand where they came from, but they’ve gone off the rails just enough to send you in the wrong direction. A boat that is off by just a few degrees in their navigation is going to end up in an entirely wrong destination.
CBT helps you intercept these messages and, most importantly, reframe them. It's like taking the reins of your thoughts and steering them in a more positive direction. It's not magic, and it takes some practice. But trust me, once you get the hang of it, it's like discovering the cheat codes to navigate through life's anxious moments. A skilled therapist can help you get up to speed.
How CBT works With Anxiety
Identifying Negative Thought Patterns:
CBT begins by helping individuals identify their negative thought patterns, often referred to as "cognitive distortions." These thoughts can contribute to anxiety and other emotional difficulties. Common cognitive distortions include all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization (drawing broad conclusions from isolated incidents), and personalization (blaming oneself for events beyond one's control). There are lists out there with examples of these cognitive distortions and my favorite comes from Dr. David Burns, one of the early pioneers of CBT.
Challenging and Restructuring Thoughts:
Once these negative thought patterns are recognized, people can learn to challenge and change them. We can do this by examining the evidence for and against these thoughts, considering alternative perspectives, and adopting more balanced and rational thinking. It can be really helpful to use some CBT written techniques when working on this part because it can help us get a bit of distance and perspective from our thoughts. Have you ever had the experience of hearing yourself say something out loud that sounded perfectly reasonable and true when it was in your head but now sounds not quite right when you speak it? Writing down our thoughts can give us that gut check on how they sound outside our own heads and help us find clues as to where some distortions might be found.
Writing down your thoughts can help you look at them more clearly.
Exposure and Desensitization:
For individuals with specific phobias or social anxiety, CBT often includes exposure therapy. This involves gradual and controlled exposure to feared situations to reduce anxiety and desensitize the individual. Over time, individuals learn that their feared outcomes are unlikely, and their anxiety decreases.
Behavioral Techniques:
CBT also incorporates behavioral techniques to address anxiety. These may include relaxation exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation to reduce physical tension.
What Does a CBT SEssion Look like?
A typical CBT session with an anxiety therapist in Maryland might go something like this: You sit down with a therapist and they guide you through identifying your anxiety triggers and the thoughts that accompany them. Together, you'll uncover any patterns of negative thinking and challenge them head-on. It's like Sherlock Holmes, but instead of solving mysteries, you're solving the mystery of your anxious mind.
Another great thing about CBT is that it's not just about the talking – it's about doing too. Your therapist might give you some "homework" in the form of small, manageable tasks to practice what you've learned so these skills start transferring into your everyday life. CBT doesn't mean you'll never feel anxious again. We're all human, after all, and a little bit of anxiety is a normal part of life. But the goal is to build up your mental muscles so that when anxiety does rear its head, you've got the tools to handle it.
CBT is also great for shushing that little voice inside your head that loves to play the "what if" game? You know the one – "What if I embarrass myself?", "What if I fail?", "What if people laugh at me?" CBT helps you challenge those thoughts and replace them with more realistic and positive ones.
A balanced approach to anxiety treatment can include CBT and more.
Integrating CBT Into A Comprehensive Plan for Anxiety Treatment In Maryland
While CBT has many strengths, there can be some shortcomings too (in my opinion). While some practitioners may work exclusively in a CBT framework, many others will utilize CBT strategies and techniques as part of a comprehensive treatment approach that may also include mindfulness-based interventions, somatic approaches for bringing more calm to the body, additional techniques such as hypnotherapy or EMDR, and addressing other areas of clinical concern like trauma or substance abuse. I have found that, as an anxiety therapist in Maryland, this integrative approach can bring the best of CBT to the table while still providing other skills and interventions that support the wide variety of needs and concerns that a client may have in their body and mind.
Whether you want to go with a targeted CBT approach or a more integrated, comprehensive strategy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has great skills and tools that can be utilized to help reduce stress and anxiety and increase calm and confidence.
Online CBT for anxiety Treatment
Both in-person and online therapy appointments can be effective with CBT for anxiety. Whichever approach helps you be more consistent in showing up for appointments will be useful. You’ve been the habit of your usual ways of thinking and behaving for a long time, so it’s going to take a bit of time and consistent practice to figure out how to do it differently and regular support can help you get there. Learn more about online therapy in Maryland here. I offer online appointments for clients anywhere in Maryland, as well as in-person therapy at my College Park office.
A free consultation for CBT Anxiety therapy in Maryland
If you already suspect that anxiety is a challenge for you, and you’d like some help and support in working through it, feel free to contact me for a free 15 minute phone consultation. You can also find out more about how I help as a Maryland therapist with anxiety treatment, mindfulness-based therapy, and other services throughout my website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, AN ANXIETY THERAPIST:
Beth Charbonneau, LCSW-C, is a Maryland therapist, specializing in anxiety therapy and treatment. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a holistic approach to calming both the mind and the body, and helping her clients feel empowered to find more joy in their lives. Learn more about her counseling practice here.
