You might be wondering. How can a cognitive behavioral therapist in NY help you? Let’s first define what cognitive therapy is and find out what it can do for you.
Cognitive therapy is a kind of psychosocial therapy which believes that many bad behavior and emotional responses happen because of inefficient thought and patterns. You will be treated to change your thoughts so that you can overcome any psychological and personality problems.
The cognitive therapy was first started by a psychologist named Aaron Beck in the 1960’s. It is based on the principle that maladaptive behavior or self-defeating behavior is caused by automatic thoughts. Automatic thoughts can be inappropriate or irrational thinking patterns. This disables reacting to the reality of the situation and instead a patient reacts from a distorted point of view.
There are many mental disorders that can be treated with cognitive therapy. This includes, agoraphobia, anxiety, panic disorders, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, eating disorders, OCD, mood disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, psychotic disorders, social phobia, schizophrenia, substance abuse disorders, and insomnia. It can also be a complementary treatment for issues like back pain or other chronic pain conditions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques
Cognitive behavioral therapy happens in an out-setting by a therapist certified or trained in many cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Therapy can go in sessions on an individual or a group setting and is shorter than traditional psychotherapy. Therapists are:
- Psychologists (Ph.D., Psy. D., Ed. D., or M.A. degree)
- Clinical social workers (M.S.W., D.S. W., or L. S. W., degree)
- Counselors (M.A. or M.S. degree)
- Psychiatrists (M.D. trained in psychiatry)
Aside from mentioned mental disorders, it can also address a wide range of issues. It can help you identify quickly and overcome specific challenges. Some emotional challenges can be addressed like:
- Managing symptoms of mental illness
- Prevent relapsing of mental health symptoms
- Learn techniques to cope with stressful life situations
- Identify on how to manage emotions
- Resolve relations conflicts
- Learn better ways to communicate
- Cope with loss or grief
- Overcome trauma related to abuse or violence
- Cope with a medical illness
- Manage chronic pain symptoms
Course of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques
The different techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy include the following:
- Validity testing – Before correcting any maladaptive thoughts and ideas, the therapist asks the patient to defend their thoughts and beliefs. If there are no valid explanations for such thoughts, the invalidity of these would be explained.
- Cognitive rehearsal – The patient would have to draw from a previous stressful situation. As they imagine and place themselves in that situation again, the therapist works with them. They would identify healthy ways to cope with the situation. In case that similar situations occur, the patient can apply and use the practiced behavior.
- Guided discovery – A series of questions would be asked by the therapist to help the patient to discover their cognitive distortions.
- Journaling – Patients would need to keep a written diary and write a detailed account of everyday life. They would include thoughts and emotions they had, and the behavior they had because of those. Then by the therapy session, the therapist and the patient would go over the journal. They would look for any thought patterns that are destructive and relate to how it led to maladaptive behaviors.
- Homework – There will be self-discovery and new insights in every session of therapy. In order to apply these often, there will be homework given to the patient. Some common homework include note taking during sessions, journaling, reading books or articles related to the therapy.
How Much Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cost in NYC?
Most therapists in NY would accept health insurance. For the breakdown of costs paid for therapy without insurance, a session in NY can be around $150 to $250. If a health insurance is accepted by the therapist, there is a copay of $20 to $40 per session.
Therapists are called “out of network therapists” if they do not accept health insurance. They would ask for the average $150 to $250 charge per session.
What To Look For In Cognitive Behavioral Therapists in NY
- Therapists practices CBT and uses it as part of general psychotherapy
- Therapists should be licensed providers, you can check https://drtorytomassetti.com she is one of the licensed psychologists specializing in CBT.
- Verify if they specialize in your concern