What are some of the common features of OCD? Obsessions often involve a concern with disastrous consequences. Obsessions often reflect a fear of harm to the person with OCD or others (e.g. “I may have picked up germs that will kill me.” “I may lose control of the car I’m driving and hit a child.”) Rituals […]
Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Very. Cognitive therapy is the most widely researched of all modern psychotherapies. There have been over 500 studies designed to investigate the benefits of cognitive therapy. Most studies indicate that cognitive therapy reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety as effectively as medication, with lower rates of relapse. In addition, cognitive therapy […]
In CBT and practically all schools of therapy, the guiding principle is to reduce suffering. And who can argue against trying to wipe out depression that is so excruciating in its level of pain that you think of anything you might do to stop it; OCD that takes up the better part of your days […]
Use this brief quiz to help you determine if you may need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of depression, or for tracking your depression on a regular basis. You can use this scale on a weekly basis to track your moods. It also might be used to show your doctor […]
by Vincent Greenwood, Ph.D. ( Director, WashingtonCenterForCognitiveTherapy.com ) Download Full Article Recent Findings: Attention Must be Paid The past decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of the most basic human activity: attention. These developments have been fueled by research in the fields of neuroscience (study of the brain) and cognitive science (study of […]
The CBT position on anger is an empowering one: events of the world or other people are not the primary determinants of anger, rather your own thoughts are the biggest contributor. Specifically, your judgments — a polite way of saying your demands — are the primary culprit.How is this empowering? The notion that you are… [Read More]
“To accept that pain is inherent and to live our lives from this understanding is to create the causes and conditions for happiness.” — Suzuki Roshi The thesis here is: beware of the assumption that (with a little right- headedness) we can and should minimize the impact of adversity in our lives; or that inner… [Read More]
Download the Full Article In this module, we will: Define cognitive defusion (hereafter labeled as CDef) Explain the difficulty with cognitive fusion Describe how CDef works Identify when CDef can be particularly useful Offer two metaphors to help get unstuck (defused) from painful and self-defeating thoughts Outline four CDef techniques What is Cognitive Defusion (CDef)? […]
The following organizations provide valuable resources and useful information to clients and providers interested in anger management. National Anger Management Association www.namass.org/ The American Association of Anger Management Providers www.aaamp.org Taking Charge of Your AngerIn this book, Dr. Robert Nay presents a six-step program that takes advantage of recent research developments. Strategies include awareness of […]
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz, published in 2004, presents the thesis that our social and economic culture of abundance has diminished our satisfaction. He starts his argument by acknowledging the central premise of the American experience: the way to maximize welfare is to maximize individual freedom; and the key […]
2. Learning about trauma and PTSD It is useful for trauma survivors to learn about PTSD and how it affects them. By learning just how common PTSD is and finding that their problems are shared by millions of veterans and survivors of other types of trauma, they can better recognize that they are not alone, […]
Generalized Anxiety (GAD) Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and consuming feelings of nervousness, tension and apprehension. The individual is preoccupied with worries that strike others as excessive and without sufficient cause. Restlessness, irritability and sleep difficulties are also common features of GAD. Physical manifestations of GAD include pain or pressure in the […]
“To accept that pain is inherent and to live our lives from this understanding is to create the causes and conditions for happiness.” — Suzuki Roshi The thesis here is: beware of the assumption that (with a little right- headedness) we can and should minimize the impact of adversity in our lives; or that inner… [Read More]
The Center is located at 5225 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 501 in Washington, D.C., approximately halfway between the University of District of Columbia (UDC) and Chevy Chase Circle. If coming from the north, our building is about 15 minutes from the Capital Beltway. Take the Connecticut Avenue exit (exit 33) and head south. Taking Metro: […]
