Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Created by Aaron Beck here in Philadelphia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective, evidence-based treatment utilized for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. CBT identifies that we have core beliefs, which are understandings about ourselves, others and the world. Our experiences with life, depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. can distort these core beliefs.

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A person sitting on a rocky ledge by the ocean, looking out at the water, with cloudy sky overhead.
A young woman with reddish-brown hair outdoors, holding her head with one hand, wearing a choker necklace and a short-sleeved top.

Core beliefs create automatic thoughts that can be very distressing, that often sound like:

  • "I can't do anything right"

  • "No one will ever love me"

  • "You can't trust anyone" 

We utilize CBT to challenge irrational automatic thoughts to make them more accurate to the world which improves how you feel and how you handle stressful situations. We don’t pretend the world is all sunshine and rainbows, and recognize that there are reasons for these kinds of thoughts: past experiences, things we’ve been told, or things that look somewhat similar. We also recognize the things we may be missing that balance what we do see so that we can make fully informed approaches.

Scenic landscape of a lake surrounded by lush green hills and towering mountains under a cloudy sky.