Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Healing for Your Whole Self

CBT is a practical, short-term, and a goal focused form of therapy

We all have unwanted and distressing thoughts from time to time. These thoughts can appear out of nowhere, leading us to overthink, expect the worst, and worry about anything and everything.

But what happens when negative thoughts keep coming back again and again? Your brain may have neurological patterns that habitually go to negative thoughts and feelings, ingrained from critical caregivers, negative life experiences or from t trauma. predispoed to Over time, it is challenging to break that cycle of negativity. It might feel like your mind has complete control over you. It takes effort to consciously recognize your patterns and then create new patterns to replace them.

A Therapist Explains What Happens When Thoughts Weigh You Down

Everyone has experienced those days when the mind won't switch off, even at night. You overthink everything—from work conversations to your last argument with your partner—replaying and dissecting every word. You second-guess every decision, rerunning every detail in your mind, until you feel even more uncertain than before. You pick apart other people’s words and reactions, sometimes obsessing over even the most casual conversations.

You may constantly worry that others are silently judging you. Maybe you hear that critical inner voice whispering, "You're not good enough," "You cannot do it," or "You'll never fit in," even if you are a successful, high-achieving individual.

Many of the thoughts that cross our minds each day are automatic negative thoughts (ANT). Over time, this cognitive loop starts feeding a cycle of self-doubt and worry that's hard to break. It can leave you feeling drained, anxious, or disconnected from the things that usually bring you joy.

Why?

Because our thoughts directly shape how we feel and behave. When most of our thoughts are negative, they can create a cycle of low mood, stress, insomnia, and anxiety.

Cognitive Distortions

А great number of thoughts that cross our minds each day are negative automatic thoughts (ANTs). They often create negative thinking patterns or cognitive distortions that convince us of something that isn't true, contributing to negative emotions and beliefs. Distorted thinking, such as all-or-nothing thinking, blaming, mind-reading, or focusing on the negative, usually interferes with our perception of other people, objects, and situations. It can dramatically impact how we feel or behave.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a proven, practical approach that helps you recognize and shift unhelpful thought and behavior patterns that harm your well-being.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is a practical, short-term, and goal-focused form of talk therapy that helps you understand how your thoughts affect your feelings and behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches you how to spot and replace unhelpful ways of thinking with more balanced ones. This shift in how you think helps you develop better ways of coping, consequently relieving your symptoms and improving your psychological well-being.

Unlike some other therapies, CBT doesn't focus on the past. It is present-focused, and it gives you tools you can use right away. CBT strategies can help rewire your brain over time, allowing you to replace negative thoughts with positive ones and use them naturally in daily life.

It's backed by decades of research and is considered one of the most evidence-based and practical approaches for various mental health challenges.

How CBT Works and Why It Fits into a Holistic Wellness Approach

As its name suggests, cognitive behavioral therapy combines cognitive and behavioral therapy to help people manage their problems by changing negative thinking patterns and unproductive behavior. Cognitive methods examine how we think and deal with our feelings, while the behavioral side focuses on how we actually act.

Inner Balance & Resilience

Changing the way you think isn't just about gaining cognitive clarity. By giving you practical tools to spot and shift unhelpful thought patterns, CBT fosters inner balance that supports every other area of your well-being.

CBT fits into a holistic wellness approach because it helps you manage intense emotions, build resilience, and improve communication. CBT teaches you strategies to replace negative thinking patterns with more constructive ones in your daily life.

Emotional Awareness & Compassion

Through CBT sessions, your emotional awareness will increase, helping you notice what you're feeling and why, without self-judgment. Furthermore, this self-awareness nurtures compassion, both for yourself and others, strengthening your relationship with yourself and those around you.

In this way, CBT strengthens both your mind and the heart, empowering you to approach life with greater calm, confidence, and connection.

Common Challenges CBT Can Help With

Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be a particularly effective treatment for anxiety and depression, but it is effective for a broad range of psychological and medical conditions, such as:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Panic attacks

• Phobias

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Insomnia

• Self-esteem and inner critic issues

• Eating disorders

• Drug abuse

• Smoking

• Gambling problems

• Psychosomatic illnesses (e.g., chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome)

• Stress and burnout

• 
  

Studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective for many of these conditions, even in the short term after the randomized controlled trial ends.

Simple CBT Tools You Can Practice Every Day

A wonderful thing about CBT is that it gives you simple strategies you can implement at home to challenge negative thoughts and relieve anxiety.

Journaling

Journaling can help you keep a thought record

Journaling can help you keep a thought record – observe when negative thoughts pop up, which emotions they trigger, and how often they appear, so you can better understand what triggers your anxiety. You can also write out positve statements to use to counter your automatic thoughts. In additon, writing about distressing emotions, such as fear, grief, or anger, can also help release their intensity.

Reframing

The core idea of cognitive restructuring, a key technique in CBT, is that how we feel comes from our thoughts about our experiences, rather than the experiences themselves. You can use cognitive restructuring to reframe your thoughts. For instance, observe when you think in extremes, such as "I always fail," and replace this thought with a more positive view, like, "I have struggled with this task before, but I have succeeded in others." These small wording shifts help you notice your distorted thinking patterns and create new beliefs and reactions.

Mindfulness

To be mindful is tt slow down and consciously observe

Mindfulness can help you observe automatic negative thoughts and emotional responses they provoke without reacting or clinging to them.

Positive Affirmations

Positive statements about yourself can help you overcome self-critical thoughts and anxious rumination, boosting your mood and self-esteem.

How Can CBT in New Jersey Help You? Getting Started with CBT for Holistic Wellness

CBT is a powerful way to restore both mental clarity and emotional well-being. So, if you often feel weighed down by unhelpful thoughts or stuck in emotional patterns, CBT could be a valuable tool for you.

Interested in working with a therapist who embraces a holistic approach to ensure your mental, emotional, and physical well-being is supported?

Don’t be afraid to seek out help. Kathy Morelli, LPC, is currently accepting new clients and practices online using the HIPAA-compliant app called Doxy.me. Kathy accepts most insurance plans.

Please contact Kathy via her Psychology Today profile.Contact me today to learn more or schedule a free consultation.