If you’re dealing with negative thought patterns and are looking for a way to change them, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) might be right for you. At Rubicon Mental Health Center, we provide CBT and other mental health treatments near you in Watchung, New Jersey, serving individuals in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy, what sessions look like, and how to determine if it’s right for you.

Key Takeaways

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that focuses on identifying negative thought patterns and behaviors, reframing them, and developing healthier coping skills to deal with them.
• CBT is often used for patients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and similar disorders.
• CBT uses techniques such as problem-solving, exposure therapy, behavioral activation, and more to help patients improve their mental health.
• Rubicon Mental Health Center provides outpatient mental health care and cognitive behavioral therapy for patients in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychological treatment provided by a licensed mental health professional. It is a type of talk therapy designed to identify and change negative thought patterns. CBT helps explore how a patient’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are linked, enabling them to reframe difficult situations and foster healthier coping skills. The core principles of CBT are that psychological problems are partially due to unhelpful ways of thinking and patterns of behavior, and that patients can learn better coping mechanisms to deal with these thoughts and behaviors and relieve their symptoms.

Some components of CBT include:

• Short-term length: CBT is designed to be a short-term intervention, typically ranging from 12 to 16 weeks. However, the timeline can vary based on the patient’s needs and diagnosis.
• Structured design: Cognitive behavioral therapy is highly structured and goal oriented. It focuses more on specific, tangible goals compared to broader conversational talk therapy.
• Homework assignments: CBT sessions often involve homework that the patient is assigned between sessions. This helps them practice the skills they’ve learned and apply them to real-world situations.

By recognizing negative thought and behavior patterns, setting goals for changing them, and practicing them in and out of sessions, patients in CBT can help improve their overall mental health.

What Conditions Can CBT Treat?

CBT has proven to be effective in treating various mental health disorders. They include:

• Depression: Patients with depression often deal with catastrophizing thoughts and other cognitive distortions that CBT helps address.
• Anxiety disorders: CBT is often used for treating generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and social anxiety by safely confronting fear-based thoughts.
• Bipolar disorder: CBT can be used as part of a treatment plan for patients with bipolar disorder by helping them challenge negative thinking spirals and identify manic thoughts.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A specific type of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is used to help patients gradually confront fears and resist compulsive behaviors.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): CBT helps patients with PTSD process traumatic memories and change the beliefs they have associated with the trauma.
• Eating disorders: CBT helps address negative thoughts around body image and eating habits, especially for patients with bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
• Substance use disorders: By identifying triggers and developing strong coping mechanisms, CBT helps patients struggling with substance abuse.

What Does a CBT Session Look Like?

CBT sessions look different for every patient, but they are typically provided once a week for a period of 12 to 16 weeks. Some patients may need more sessions, while others may need fewer. Some strategies that may be employed in a CBT session include:

• Cognitive restructuring, which involves identifying automatic negative thoughts and replacing them with more realistic views
• Behavioral activation, which consists of identifying and scheduling rewarding activities to boost motivation
• Exposure therapy, which is gradually and methodically confronting fears, thoughts, or triggers without using avoidance or safety behaviors
• Stress reduction, which uses physical coping tools such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to reduce tension and anxiety
• Problem solving, which involves defining a problem, coming up with solutions, and implementing the best course of action
• Successive approximation, which helps patients break down overwhelming goals into smaller, more manageable steps

At Rubicon Mental Health Center, our highly skilled team provides cognitive behavioral therapy for patients using some or all of these techniques. The exact format of sessions is determined by the patient’s diagnosis, goals, behaviors, and other factors.

CBT vs. DBT vs. Other Therapies

CBT is often considered the gold standard of treatment for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, it is also often used in conjunction with or as an alternative to other therapies such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). To understand why each is used, it’s helpful to understand the differences between them:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It helps to change how a patient thinks and behaves to alter their patterns and cope more effectively with negative situations. CBT is designed to be short-term and structured with one-on-one sessions with a therapist or psychologist. It is best for patients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and other related conditions.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT that focuses on the ideas of radical acceptance and mindfulness. It helps patients regulate their emotions through techniques such as distress tolerance, active behavioral change, and mindfulness. It is typically longer term than CBT, with weekly sessions lasting anywhere from six months to a year. It is ideal for patients with eating disorders, self-harm, borderline personality disorder (BPD), and substance use.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is another type of short-term talk therapy that focuses on developing psychological flexibility, which means experiencing challenging thoughts and emotions without being controlled by them. Instead of trying to eliminate or control difficult thoughts and feelings, ACT helps patients learn to accept them and change their relationship to those thoughts and feelings. ACT is often used for treating anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma, as well as dealing with general life transitions.

Is CBT Right for Me?

If you’re wondering if CBT is the right treatment for you, ask yourself a few questions:

• Do I have a specific, concrete problem to solve?
• Do I want to focus on my current life problems rather than past trauma or issues?
• Am I willing to do homework and practice techniques outside of sessions?
• Do I prefer a structured, action-oriented approach over purely talking?
• Can I tolerate a brief period of discomfort for long-term progress?

If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions, CBT is likely the right fit. This is because it is structured and goal-oriented, focuses on current issues, and provides homework. If you answered “no” to most of these questions, another form of therapy, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or supportive counseling, may be better suited to your needs.

About CBT at Rubicon Mental Health Center

At Rubicon Mental Health Center, we have an experienced team of master’s-level mental health experts, including case managers, clinicians, and psychiatric advanced practice nurses (APNs). These experts work together to treat each patient, often using cognitive behavioral therapy as part of the treatment plan. We have three main levels of care:

• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Patients attend sessions five days per week for six hours a day.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Patients attend sessions for a minimum of three days per week, but they can attend for up to five days. Sessions run for around three hours a day and typically last for 10 to 12 weeks.
• Outpatient Program: Patients attend sessions two to three days a week for one hour a day.

In our outpatient programs, individual cognitive behavioral therapy is often used. The patient will meet one-on-one with their therapist for CBT sessions, where they will focus on identifying and changing their negative thoughts and behaviors. The number of sessions will vary based on the patient’s needs and progress.

In conjunction with CBT, mindfulness-based practices, group therapy, and stress-reduction techniques are also used to provide whole-person healing. At Rubicon Mental Health Center, we combine evidence-based strategies with complementary holistic care to help patients overcome challenges and improve their overall mental health.

Learn More About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Near You in NJ, PA, & NY

Negative thoughts and behaviors don’t have to rule your life. Help is available at Rubicon Mental Health Center. We provide cognitive behavioral therapy, along with other therapies and services, for patients in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Our team is dedicated to improving the mental health of all patients through personalized, evidence-based modalities like CBT.

With a supportive environment, a 1:2 patient-to-staff ratio, and acceptance of various insurance policies, we aim to promote well-being and emotional balance for every patient. Wellness is just a phone call away, and we’re here for you 24/7. To get started or to request an appointment near you in NJ, contact us online or call (908)-678-1870 today.