Treatment Services

At Beach Cities CBT, I provide individual therapy services on a weekly or biweekly basis. Based on your comfort we will meet either face to face or virtually. I utilize up-to-date, evidence-based treatments. Read below to learn more about therapy methods.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidenced-based form of psychological treatment. It has been shown to be particularly effective for Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In a nutshell, CBT treatment will help you to think better and do better. CBT helps you break the negative loop between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. A CBT specialist will help you identify unhelpful and distorted ways of thinking. Examples of common distorted thoughts include:

  • “I am not good enough.”

  • “If I try, I may fail.”

  • “God will be unhappy with me.” 

  • “If I don’t complete this task until it feels right, I will be putting myself and others at risk.”

CBT treatment will also target negative patterns of behavior. These behaviors reinforce negative thoughts and distressing emotional responses. A CBT specialist will help you build coping skills in order to change these negative behavioral patterns. Common negative behavioral patterns include:

  • Avoiding stressful or fearful situations or people

  • Compulsive behaviors (e.g., handwashing, counting, memory checking, repetitive prayers) 

  • Suppressing thoughts

  • Asking for reassurance

Exposure and Response Prevention

 

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the current gold standard treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. ERP is a specialized and focused treatment that gradually exposes you to your worries. Rather than avoiding or removing distressing situations, we will learn to cope with the distress you feel when triggered. This will eventually give you more time and energy to focus on what you value.

For example, a person afraid of germs will create a hierarchy of what their fears are, from the least fearful to the most fearful situations. Together, we may start with touching an item that causes you slight worry. We will learn to observe your anxiety and practice mindfulness without engaging in compulsive behaviors. Over time you will manage the feelings of distress better. ERP can sound rough initially, so I am here to help you understand if this is right for you.

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy

 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), when used in conjunction with CBT, is a clinically effective treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. We use ACT to gain psychological flexibility through total and complete self-acceptance. ACT will help you to stop struggling and embrace your thoughts and feelings. This may sound very uncomfortable when your thoughts are distressing or even taboo. However, with ACT we will TURN TOWARDS your values, and we will FIND MORE SPACE for what is meaningful in your life.