CBT Therapy Calgary

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Ever wish that you could change the way you think and perceive the world? Do you ever ask yourself: What if I could drop my bad habits, feel good about myself, and become the best version of myself?

Here’s the good news: You can. Everything listed above and more is within your control. You might just need help getting there. Have you heard of cognitive behavioural therapy? With CBT, you can learn to accept what’s beyond your control and focus on what you can change. Specifically, your behaviours and how you react to difficult situations.

Curious about CBT? Maybe you want to know what you can expect during your first appointment. Here’s how you can benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy:

What Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is based on the idea that the way we think and feel determines how we act. This therapy empowers you to better cope with stress, depression, and anxiety. It’s commonly used to help with depression, anxiety, trauma, self esteem and improve overall well being. How do you react to negative experiences, both emotionally and behaviourally? In a stressful situation, we react in mere seconds. Our minds move fast, but if you slowed down your thoughts, you’d notice something like this: Thought patterns 🡪 affect feelings 🡪 affect behaviours. Negative thought patterns can become so ingrained that it’s hard to notice them. When you become aware of your habitual thinking patterns and begin to challenge your negative thoughts, you change the way you feel and how you interact in the world. This is what CBT is built on. A fundamental part of CBT is awareness. You work backward from your behaviours to understand why you act the way you do. Consider all the factors in your life that may be affecting your behaviour, including your relationships, home life, career, and current stressors. You’ll learn to develop positive thinking patterns to tackle the behaviours you wish to change. A few examples include:

Identifying what causes you to feel stressed, anxious, or afraid
Learning new problem-solving skills to cope with negative emotions
Developing a greater sense of confidence and self-esteem

Another fundamental of CBT is control. In life, we can’t always control our circumstances. You’ve probably heard this quote before: “You can’t change how people act, but what you can change is how you react.” -Bonnie Hammer You can empower yourself by focusing on what you can control. Change the way you experience and react to life with CBT.

What Is the Purpose of CBT Therapy in Calgary?

CBT is for anyone who wants to change how they think, react, and behave. You don’t need to be diagnosed with a mental illness to benefit from CBT. You’ll learn how to change the way you react to difficult situations. And, you’ll also learn how to do this by yourself. This creates a sense of independence and self-sufficiency that empowers you. All of us deal with stressful situations; CBT teaches you how to tolerate difficult emotions and alter your behaviour.

With counselling services, you can:

Manage your emotions and thoughts with confidence
Feel positive about yourself and relationships
Find out how to cope with conflict
Better communicate your thoughts to others
Identify cognitive distortions and challenge them
Confront thoughts and feelings instead of avoiding them
Change problematic behaviours and habits
Develop strategies and tools for stress management

What Can I Expect During CBT Therapy Sessions?

Is this your first time seeking counselling services? Here’s an overview of what to expect:

CBT is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes how to change your current situation. What circumstances in your life are actively causing you stress or anxiety? After identifying some of your challenges, your therapist will teach coping skills and strategies to deal with those situations.

Sometimes, it’s hard to view your habits and circumstances from another perspective. With CBT, you gain insights from a professional therapist who can point out distortions in your thought patterns where feelings override logic, and identify what you can do to make lasting changes.

How Do I Prepare for CBT Therapy?

To get the most out of your treatment, it’s best to be as honest with your therapist as possible. Ask yourself: What behaviours am I seeking to change? What situations do I need help coping with? Understandably, this can be difficult. Remember that therapy is a supportive environment; you will be heard without judgement and treated with respect. We recommend coming into your treatment with a goal in mind. Then, your therapist can design a treatment plan to set goals, target certain behaviours, and achieve your desired outcome. If you’re looking for examples, here are a few:

I need help managing stress caused by work
I’m going through a difficult divorce, and I need help coping with my emotions
I want to change my problematic behaviours or unhelpful thinking patterns

How Long Should You Wait Before Bereavement Counselling?

There is no set time when grief ends or begins; it has no timeline.

You may experience anticipatory grief; this is when you begin mourning in anticipation of a loss. It’s common when a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness.

Other times, life events happen without warning, and your life changes overnight.

Or, you may not begin to grieve until weeks and months after the event takes place.

There’s no right or wrong time to start bereavement counselling. We recommend seeking support as soon as you need it, whether that’s in anticipation of the event or weeks afterward.

You don’t need to suffer in silence or deal with your emotions alone. With grief therapy, you can treat the symptoms caused by grief and learn how to cope with loss. We’ll be here to help as long as you need us.

After we lose someone, their memory (and the love we had for them) stays with us. We can assist you with managing grief in the long term. Navigate the healing process with the assistance of a qualified counsellor.

Virtual or In-Person Counselling

We want to make your session as comfortable and convenient as possible. If you prefer online counselling, we do offer virtual sessions.

If you live out of town or you can’t make it to the office, we bring our services to you through video counselling. You can receive your treatment from the comfort of your home. If this is something you’re interested in, let us know.

Contact One Life Today

Ready to make a change in your life? At One Life Counselling & Coaching, we make therapy and counselling services approachable. We offer CBT to help you learn skills that empower you to cope with tough situations and change your behaviours.

Change starts with you. Change starts today. If you’re ready to challenge negative thinking and behaviours, we can help.

At our office, we’re open 7 days a week, including weekends and evenings. With no waitlists, we’re ready to get started when you are. To book your first CBT appointment, contact One Life Counselling & Coaching today!

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