Identify Faulty Thinking
Evidence-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF) help clients recognize past cognitive errors and create challenges for each thought distortion. Our therapy programs carefully examine common automatic negative thoughts, replacing inaccurate, exaggerated, and irrelevant thoughts with accurate, reality-based, and positive views and beliefs. Identifying and changing the deceptions and lies allows clients to change their thoughts, feelings, and actions as they move forward.
Changing How You Think Will Change How You Feel and Behave
Imagine I think and believe that there is a ferocious dog on the other side of the door, and I believe the dog will bite me when I open the door. I likely would feel anxious, scared, intimidated, and frustrated. I might refuse to exit the door, ask someone to deal with the dog, or make a phone call for help. My feelings and my actions perfectly fit what I think and believe. The problem of course, is that what I think is wrong. There is no dog! Now, my feelings and actions fit what is not true. My feelings and actions are a response to a lie, a misperception, flawed thinking, and distorted beliefs.
Master Your Thinking
If you want to change how you feel and act, you must change the way you think. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets distorted thinking and replaces it with accurate, reality-based thoughts. A simple process I use is: 1) Recognize the distortion, 2) Refuse or Reject it, 3) Replace it with a positive thought, then 4) Rehearse the positive thought several times, and 5) Repeat the entire process as necessary. Changing how you think is the best way to a changed life. Recovery is a Journey. Enjoy the Ride!
