Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Lafayette, CA

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify and change the thinking patterns and behaviors that keep you stuck in anxiety, depression, or unhelpful habits. It's practical, skills-based, and proven effective.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is based on a simple but powerful idea: your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. When you change one, you can change the others.

The CBT Triangle:

  • Thoughts influence how you feel

  • Feelings influence how you behave

  • Behaviors influence what you think

For example:

  • Thought: "I'm going to fail this test"

  • Feeling: Anxious, defeated

  • Behavior: Avoid studying or overprepare to exhaustion

CBT helps you interrupt this cycle by identifying unhelpful thoughts, examining the evidence, and developing more balanced, realistic ways of thinking—which changes how you feel and what you do.

How CBT Works in My Practice

While I'm trained in CBT, I typically use it as one tool among many rather than as a standalone approach. This means you get the practical benefits of CBT techniques while also addressing deeper emotional and relational patterns through other modalities.

CBT Techniques I Use

Identifying Thinking Traps Learning to recognize cognitive distortions—all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, mind-reading, overgeneralizing—that create unnecessary distress.

Thought Records Tracking situations, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to identify patterns and practice more balanced thinking.

Behavioral Activation When depression makes you want to withdraw, CBT helps you schedule activities that improve mood and counter isolation.

Exposure Techniques Gradually facing feared situations (with support) to reduce anxiety and build confidence. Especially helpful for phobias and social anxiety.

Problem-Solving Skills Breaking down overwhelming problems into manageable steps and developing concrete action plans.

Behavioral Experiments Testing out negative predictions to see if they're actually true—often discovering they're not.

Relaxation and Coping Skills Teaching specific techniques for managing anxiety, panic, or anger in the moment.

CBT Enhanced by Other Approaches

Because I integrate multiple modalities, my use of CBT often includes:

  • Mindfulness to observe thoughts without judgment

  • Somatic awareness to notice how thoughts affect your body

  • IFS perspective to understand which "part" is thinking this way

  • Drama therapy creativity to make CBT exercises more engaging

This integration makes CBT feel less mechanical and more personally meaningful.

Who Benefits from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Anxiety Disorders

CBT is highly effective for:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - Chronic worry and "what if" thinking

  • Social Anxiety - Fear of judgment or embarrassment

  • Panic Disorder - Understanding and managing panic attacks

  • Phobias - Gradual exposure to reduce fear

  • OCD - Combined with exposure and response prevention

CBT gives you concrete tools to interrupt anxiety spirals and challenge catastrophic thinking.

Depression

CBT helps with depression by:

  • Identifying and challenging negative thought patterns

  • Increasing activities that boost mood

  • Breaking cycles of withdrawal and rumination

  • Developing coping skills for difficult emotions

  • Building a sense of accomplishment and capability

Research shows CBT is as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression, and combining both is even more effective.

Teens and Academic Stress

Adolescents benefit from CBT because it's:

  • Concrete and practical - Appeals to teens who want solutions

  • Skills-based - Gives them tools they can use independently

  • Focused on real problems - School stress, peer pressure, performance anxiety

CBT helps teens challenge perfectionism, manage test anxiety, and cope with social pressures that are so intense in high-achieving areas like Lafayette and Walnut Creek.

Children with Anxiety or Behavior Issues

Modified for age, CBT helps children:

  • Understand the connection between thoughts and feelings

  • Develop coping skills for worries and fears

  • Build confidence through mastery experiences

  • Change problematic behaviors

Play-based and creative adaptations (drawing thought bubbles, using metaphors) make CBT accessible for kids.

Adults with Stress and Life Challenges

CBT is practical for busy adults dealing with:

  • Work stress and burnout

  • Relationship conflicts

  • Life transitions and decision-making

  • Insomnia and sleep issues

  • Anger management

You learn skills you can apply immediately to real-life situations.

Habit Change and Goal Setting

CBT techniques help with:

  • Breaking unwanted habits

  • Building new routines

  • Overcoming procrastination

  • Achieving specific behavioral goals

If you have a concrete problem you want to solve, CBT's structured approach can be very effective.

CBT for Specific Issues

Test and Performance Anxiety

  • Challenging catastrophic thoughts about outcomes

  • Developing study and preparation routines that reduce anxiety

  • Using relaxation techniques before and during tests

  • Building confidence through small successes

Particularly relevant for teens in competitive academic environments.

Social Anxiety

  • Identifying and challenging thoughts about being judged

  • Gradual exposure to social situations

  • Developing conversation skills and confidence

  • Reducing safety behaviors that maintain anxiety

Insomnia and Sleep Issues

  • CBT-I (CBT for Insomnia) techniques

  • Addressing racing thoughts at bedtime

  • Establishing healthy sleep routines

  • Reducing sleep anxiety

Perfectionism

  • Recognizing all-or-nothing thinking

  • Setting realistic standards

  • Tolerating "good enough"

  • Reducing fear of failure

Very common in high-achieving Bay Area families.

Anger Management

  • Identifying anger triggers and warning signs

  • Challenging thoughts that fuel anger

  • Developing healthier communication skills

  • Using time-outs and cooling strategies

What to Expect in CBT-Informed Therapy

Initial Sessions

  • Understanding your specific challenges

  • Identifying patterns in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

  • Setting concrete, achievable goals

  • Learning the CBT model

Ongoing Sessions

  • Working on specific techniques relevant to your goals

  • Practicing new skills in session

  • Reviewing homework and real-life applications

  • Troubleshooting obstacles

  • Celebrating progress

Between Sessions

CBT involves active practice outside therapy:

  • Thought records or journaling

  • Behavioral experiments

  • Practicing new skills

  • Gradual exposure exercises

  • Building new habits

The more you practice, the faster you'll see results.

Timeline

CBT is generally time-limited and goal-focused. Many people see improvement in:

  • 4-8 weeks for specific, focused issues

  • 12-20 sessions for more complex challenges

  • Ongoing maintenance for long-standing patterns

Because I integrate CBT with other approaches, our timeline may be more flexible, focusing on what works best for you.

My Integrated Approach: CBT Plus

While CBT is powerful, I find that combining it with other approaches creates more comprehensive healing:

CBT + Mindfulness Mindfulness helps you observe thoughts without getting caught in them, making CBT's cognitive work more effective.

CBT + Somatic Therapy Noticing how thoughts affect your body and using body-based techniques to shift emotional states enhances CBT's impact.

CBT + IFS (Internal Family Systems) Understanding which "part" of you is thinking negatively helps you work with thoughts more compassionately rather than just trying to change them.

CBT + Family Systems Examining how family patterns and roles contribute to thought patterns and behaviors creates deeper, lasting change.

This integration means you get practical CBT skills while also addressing underlying emotional and relational issues that pure CBT might miss.

CBT Online: Does It Work?

Research shows CBT is highly effective online—sometimes as effective as in-person therapy. Online CBT therapy offers:

  • Structured approaches translate well to video sessions

  • Easy sharing of worksheets and resources

  • Practice in your environment where you'll use the skills

  • Flexibility for busy schedules

I've successfully delivered CBT-informed therapy online to clients throughout California.

CBT vs. Traditional Therapy: What's the Difference?

Traditional psychodynamic therapy:

  • Explores past experiences and unconscious patterns

  • More open-ended and exploratory

  • Focus on insight and understanding

CBT:

  • Focuses on present thoughts and behaviors

  • Structured with specific goals and homework

  • Skills-based and practical

  • Time-limited

My approach combines both:

  • CBT skills for immediate relief and practical tools

  • Deeper exploration when helpful for lasting change

  • Flexibility based on what you need

Common Questions About CBT

Will CBT ignore my feelings? Not at all. While CBT is practical and skills-focused, it doesn't dismiss emotions. We work with feelings as part of the thought-feeling-behavior cycle.

Is CBT just "positive thinking"? No. CBT isn't about thinking positively—it's about thinking realistically and accurately. We challenge both negative AND overly positive distortions.

What if I've tried CBT before and it didn't work? CBT can feel too mechanical or surface-level for some people, which is why I integrate it with other approaches. My drama therapy background also makes CBT exercises more creative and engaging.

Do I have to do homework? Practice between sessions makes CBT more effective, but we'll find approaches that work for your life. Even small practice makes a difference.

Can CBT help with deeper issues or just symptoms? CBT is excellent for symptom relief, and that relief often allows space for deeper work. I combine CBT with other approaches for comprehensive healing.

Why Choose CBT-Informed Therapy in Lafayette?

The Bay Area's high-achieving culture can create thinking patterns that fuel anxiety and stress:

  • Perfectionism ("Anything less than perfect is failure")

  • Catastrophizing ("If I make one mistake, everything will fall apart")

  • Should statements ("I should be working harder/achieving more")

  • Comparison ("Everyone else has it together except me")

CBT helps you recognize and challenge these patterns that are so prevalent in competitive environments.

Additionally, Lafayette and Walnut Creek families often appreciate CBT's:

  • Evidence-based approach - Research-backed effectiveness

  • Efficiency - Results often seen relatively quickly

  • Practical focus - Skills you can use immediately

  • Goal-oriented - Clear progress toward specific outcomes

Getting Started with CBT-Informed Therapy

Whether you want focused CBT for a specific issue or a more integrated approach that includes CBT techniques, I'll tailor our work to your needs.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss:

  • Your specific challenges and goals

  • Whether CBT techniques would be helpful

  • How I integrate CBT with other approaches

  • What to expect in our work together

  • Practical details about online therapy

Ready to develop practical skills for anxiety, depression, or life challenges? Contact me to schedule your free consultation.

Offering CBT-informed therapy online for clients in Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Orinda, Moraga, and throughout California.

Related Services

  • Anxiety Therapy - CBT techniques for worry and panic

  • Teen Therapy - Practical skills for academic and social stress

  • Depression Treatment - Behavioral activation and cognitive restructuring

  • Child Therapy - Age-appropriate CBT techniques

Other Approaches