When you feel like life isn’t going your way, or you’re depressed, anxious, or ashamed, your distress is caused by unconscious, false beliefs that distort your worldview. Using a short-term treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychologist Dr. Brian C. Hocking in Charlottesville, Virginia, helps you identify, eliminate, and replace negative beliefs with positive ones. Men and women in the Charlottesville area who want to experience more joy and fulfillment in life through CBT can contact Dr. Hocking by phone or with the online consultation form.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based talk therapy that helps you change your thoughts so you can change your feelings and behaviors to feel more joy in life.
With CBT, you learn to replace negative, distorted, and false beliefs with healthier thoughts that promote positive feelings and actions. You also learn coping skills that help you navigate stressful situations, positive self-talk to quiet your inner doubter, problem-solving skills, and relaxation techniques.
As Dr. Hocking works with you, he draws on many tools available with CBT. For example, he uses a process called “thought challenging” to help you identify and challenge the false, negative beliefs that lead you to feel bad or to take actions that are not in your best interest.
One of the most common types of negative thinking is an all-or-nothing belief, such as, “If I don’t do things perfectly, then I’m a failure.” Dr. Hocking helps you replace that type of thought with more realistic ones that give you space to learn and grow.
One distinct advantage of CBT over other types of talk therapies is that it tends to work more quickly than some other forms of therapy. However, Dr. Hocking sees you as long as you need him, whether that’s six to eight sessions or several years.
As he helps you learn to identify and challenge your own false beliefs, you become your own counselor.
You don’t have to be clinically depressed or have a diagnosable condition to benefit from CBT. Many men and women who are in stressful situations, are grieving a profound loss, or are experiencing other challenges in life can use CBT to learn helpful coping and problem-solving techniques.
You can use CBT to:
Dr. Hocking can use CBT to help you improve:
If you think CBT could alleviate your emotional distress or help you build a more fulfilling life, contact Dr. Hocking. You can call his office directly or use the online appointment form.
