Psychotherapy
I provide a kind of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), but a style of CBT that has been strongly influenced by the work of Dr. David Burns M.D., psychiatrist. In my list of references (see “reference” button) I have listed several of his excellent self-help books. Usually I ask my patients to purchase one of his books which focuses on their particular problem. We then work through some of the book together. Research has shown that patients who do homework between their treatment sessions improve the most. I strongly suggest that my patients do homework. Also, sometimes it is more powerful to have sessions which last longer than the traditional 45 minutes. There has been a lot of research which has proven that CBT can be effective for treating depression or anxiety disorders. Other kinds of psychotherapy can also be effective. Many patients don’t want or need psychiatric medications. Often the combination of psychotherapy and medications is the most effective approach to take. A survey conducted by the Consumers Union of their subscribers showed that even just a couple of sessions of therapy resulted in significantly greater self-acceptance, as reported by approximately 3000 respondents. This survey also revealed that clients found their therapy to be helpful when they could positively answer these two questions; "does my therapist really understand me?" and "am I confident that my therapist can help me?". It is very important that you feel that you have a good relationship with your therapist.
