We offer therapy support through both in-person and secure virtual therapy sessions.
When the Way You Think, Feel, and Respond Starts to Feel Like a Pattern You Can't Break
Sometimes you know your thoughts aren't helping you, but you can't seem to stop them.
You replay conversations. You anticipate everything that could go wrong.
You assume the worst. You criticize yourself.
You avoid things because they feel overwhelming. You tell yourself you should be doing better.
And the more you think about it, the worse you feel.
You may find yourself caught in a cycle:
Thoughts → Feelings → Behaviours → More Thoughts
CBT can help you understand that cycle and begin changing the patterns that keep you stuck.
When You're Mind Automatically Goes To Worst-case Scenario
Anxiety can make your brain exceptionally good at finding danger. You may constantly scan for what could go wrong.
You may:
- Overthink
- Catastrophize
- Reassure-seek
- Second-guess yourself
- Avoid situations
- Rehearse conversations
- Assume people are upset with you
- Prepare for every possible outcome
Your brain may believe it is protecting you. But constantly preparing for danger can keep your nervous system activated. CBT can help you identify these thinking patterns and learn different ways of responding.
CBT is More Than "Think Positive"
One of the biggest misconceptions about CBT is that it means replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.
It doesn't.
If you're struggling, being told to simply "think positively" can feel invalidating.
CBT is more about learning to ask:
Is this thought accurate?
What evidence supports it?
What evidence doesn't?
Am I assuming something?
Am I looking at this in black and white?
What would I say to someone I love in this situation?
Is there another way of understanding what happened?
It's about developing flexibility, not pretending everything is fine.