Cognitive behavioral therapy
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life. Move From Stuck to Thriving.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a proven, practical approach that helps you identify and change the thought patterns keeping you stuck in anxiety, depression, work stress, or relationship struggles. If you're ready to move beyond just talking about your problems and want to develop real strategies for lasting change, CBT offers the results-oriented framework you've been looking for.
Cognitive behavioral therapy isn't about endless sessions without direction—it's about equipping you with specific skills and insights to think more clearly, manage your emotions effectively, and build stronger relationships both personally and professionally. As a psychotherapist serving New Canaan and the surrounding areas, I combine CBT techniques with real-world business experience to help driven individuals and couples create the meaningful progress they're committed to achieving.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a structured, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on the powerful connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The core principle is straightforward: the way you think about situations directly influences how you feel and what you do. When you learn to identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns, you naturally begin to feel better and make more constructive choices in your life.
Unlike therapeutic approaches that primarily explore your past, CBT concentrates on present-day challenges and equips you with practical tools you can use immediately. This doesn't mean your history isn't valuable—understanding where patterns originated helps inform our work together. However, CBT emphasizes developing actionable skills that create tangible improvements in your current life, whether you're dealing with anxiety, navigating a career transition, or working to strengthen your romantic relationship.
My Approach to CBT
What sets my practice apart is my unique background working in the business world before becoming a therapist—an experience that 99 percent of other therapists don't have. This real-world perspective allows me to understand the practical realities of workplace dynamics, professional pressures, and career development in ways that directly inform how I apply CBT techniques with my clients.
My ideal client tends to struggle with romantic relationships and career concerns, and they're genuinely committed to self-improvement and making therapy a priority in their life. If that describes you, you'll find that my therapeutic approach aligns well with your needs and goals.
I integrate CBT with other evidence-based approaches including Emotionally Focused Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. This flexibility ensures our work together addresses not just your thinking patterns, but also your emotional experiences and your immediate needs for practical solutions.
How CBT Can Help You
Anxiety and Worry
Anxiety often stems from overestimating threats and underestimating your ability to cope. Through CBT, we examine the specific thoughts driving your anxiety—patterns like catastrophizing, mind-reading, or predicting negative outcomes without evidence. You'll learn techniques for challenging these anxious thoughts and develop practical strategies for managing both the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. Whether your anxiety shows up in relationships, at work, or in social situations, CBT provides tools to help you respond more effectively.
Depression and Low Mood
Depression frequently involves negative thinking patterns about yourself, your world, and your future. These thoughts can feel absolutely true when you're depressed, even though they represent a distorted view of reality. Through CBT, we identify and challenge these negative thought patterns while also addressing the behavioral components of depression—like withdrawal, isolation, or difficulty maintaining routines. Together, we work on gradually reintroducing activities that provide accomplishment and pleasure, helping your mood naturally improve as your thinking becomes more balanced.
Work Stress and Career Transitions
My business background gives me unique insight into work-related psychological challenges. I understand the pressures of professional environments, imposter syndrome, workplace relationships, and the internal conflicts that arise when building a meaningful career. Through CBT, we examine work-related thoughts about performance, competence, and professional value. We identify behaviors that might be contributing to your stress and develop practical skills for managing workplace challenges while exploring whether your career truly aligns with your values and long-term goals.
Relationship Difficulties
Whether you're navigating challenges in a romantic relationship or struggling with dating, CBT provides valuable tools for improving how you connect with others. Relationship difficulties often involve interpretations about your partner's behavior, beliefs about what relationships "should" be like, and communication patterns that create distance rather than closeness. In couples counseling, I integrate CBT with Emotionally Focused Therapy to help partners understand how their individual thought patterns and behaviors create relationship dynamics. You'll develop communication skills that allow you to express needs clearly and listen more effectively.
What to Expect in CBT Sessions
Comprehensive Intake Process
I begin by taking a deep dive into your background, current challenges, and goals. This thorough assessment covers your relationship history, career path, significant life events, and previous attempts to address your concerns. This comprehensive understanding allows me to tailor our CBT work specifically to your situation rather than applying a generic approach.
Collaborative Goal-Setting
From the start, we establish clear, specific goals that matter to you. My business background informs how I approach goal-setting—just as effective strategies require clear objectives and measurable outcomes, successful therapy benefits from the same structure. Whether you're seeking to reduce anxiety affecting your work performance, improve communication in your relationship, or navigate a career transition with more confidence, your goals guide everything we do together.
Active Skill Development
CBT is collaborative and action-oriented. During our weekly sessions, we work together to identify specific thoughts and behaviors that might be holding you back. You'll learn to recognize automatic thought patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and develop more balanced perspectives that reduce emotional distress.
Between sessions, you'll typically have homework assignments that allow you to practice new skills in real-world situations. This might include tracking your thoughts and feelings, trying behavioral experiments, or implementing new communication strategies. These between-session activities are where real transformation happens—our time together provides insight and develops skills, but your daily practice turns these insights into lasting change.
Structured, Consistent Care
Appointments are scheduled on a weekly basis, providing the consistency that makes CBT most effective. We revisit your goals regularly to ensure we're making meaningful progress. As therapy continues, your goals might evolve, and the structure of CBT allows us to adapt our focus while maintaining clear direction.
Is CBT Right for You?
CBT works exceptionally well for people who are ready to take an active role in their own healing and growth. If you value practical, skills-based approaches and want to see tangible progress, CBT is likely a good fit. The clients who benefit most are those willing to look honestly at their thinking patterns, try new behaviors even when uncomfortable, and commit to doing work between sessions.
This approach is particularly effective for anxiety, depression, work stress, career transitions, relationship dynamics, and developing strategies for peak performance. However, therapy is deeply personal, and during our initial sessions, we'll explore whether CBT feels like the right approach for your specific needs.
Begin Your CBT Journey in New Canaan, Ct
Living with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or work stress doesn't have to be your permanent reality. CBT provides proven tools and strategies that can help you think more clearly, feel better, and create meaningful changes in your life. With my unique background combining therapeutic expertise and real-world business experience, I'm positioned to help you navigate both the emotional and practical aspects of the challenges you're facing.
I offer both online sessions and in-person appointments to accommodate your preferences and schedule. I currently accept Aetna insurance.
If you're committed to self-improvement and ready to make therapy a priority, I invite you to reach out. Contact me today to discuss how CBT might help you achieve your goals and create the life you want to be living in both your personal relationships and professional life.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Cognitive behavioral therapy is a structured, goal-oriented approach that focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In our sessions, we identify negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, or relationship struggles, and work together to develop healthier ways of thinking and responding to life's challenges.
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CBT is action-oriented and focuses on present-day challenges rather than spending years exploring your past. While understanding your background is important, my approach emphasizes giving you practical tools and strategies you can use immediately to change unhelpful patterns and achieve your goals.
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Many clients begin noticing shifts in their thinking and emotional responses within the first few sessions. The overall length of treatment varies based on your specific goals and the complexity of what you're working through, but CBT is designed to be relatively short-term and focused compared to other therapeutic approaches.
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Each session is collaborative and structured. We review your experiences since our last meeting, identify thought patterns that may be causing distress, practice new coping strategies, and develop homework assignments to reinforce what you're learning between sessions.
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Yes, homework is an essential part of CBT. You might track your thoughts in a journal, practice specific techniques, or complete exercises that help reinforce new patterns. This work between sessions accelerates your progress and helps you integrate what we discuss into your daily life.
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Absolutely. CBT is particularly effective for addressing the interconnected challenges many of my clients face in relationships and their professional lives. The thought patterns that create anxiety in your career often show up in your personal relationships too, and we address both areas comprehensively.
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While CBT forms the foundation of my work, I integrate other evidence-based approaches like Emotionally Focused Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy when appropriate. My background in the business world also allows me to bring practical, real-world perspective to career and performance challenges that most therapists don't have.
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CBT is highly effective for both individuals and couples. For couples, we use CBT principles to help you recognize negative interaction patterns, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of relating to each other during conflict and everyday situations.
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I conduct a thorough assessment of your background, current challenges, and goals during our initial sessions. This deep dive helps me understand the specific thought patterns and behaviors we need to address, and allows us to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique situation.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out to schedule an initial consultation where we can discuss your specific concerns, determine if CBT is the right fit for your needs, and create a plan for moving forward. I offer both in-person sessions in New Canaan and online sessions for added flexibility.