Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch
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By: Carey Robey, MS, LPC, NCC Would you like to know how to challenge and change your negative thinking patterns? Learning how to challenge your negative thoughts is a skill that can help you decrease anxiety and have lasting effects on your overall mental health. How you can change negative thinking patterns: Changing negative thinking […]
By: Carey Robey, MS, LPC, NCCWould you like to know how to challenge and change your negative thinking patterns? Learning how to challenge your negative thoughts is a skill that can help you decrease anxiety and have lasting effects on your overall mental health.
Changing negative thinking patterns can be done by using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Many of my clients know of CBT but are new to the idea of cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are exaggerated ways of thinking that are not based on fact, leading us to have a much more negative perception of things than what is reality. Cognitive distortions tend to be worse when feeling down, stressed, or already struggling with depression or anxiety. In therapy, we work on identifying these negative or intrusive thoughts and learn how to counter and change them.
Because our thoughts dictate our mood and our actions, it is essential that we do not stay in a place where ideas are irrationally negative or not consistent with reality. Working on reversing cognitive distortions is a vast part of CBT. One can learn to master the skills of challenging thoughts so much so that eventually, it becomes like second nature. Though everyone engages in distorted thinking habits, individuals might have developed more particular patterns that they engage in often. Some common distortions are jumping to conclusions, mind reading, catastrophizing, and filtering. Once you can identify such negative thinking patterns, the easier it will be to work on engaging in more constructive thinking habits.
Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you will learn to recognize and identify thoughts so you may begin engaging in questioning them. Questioning can be helpful in several ways depending on your thinking habits; you will learn how to look for evidence for and against your thought, consider different perspectives, and analyze how you came to the assumption, to begin with.
This is a tool a therapist can help you develop, so you may use this as a coping skill on your own in the hopes of one day changing those distorted patterns into healthier ones. If you are seeking help in turning around negative thinking, consider therapy to learn skills on challenging thoughts so you may have long-term benefits on your mental well-being.
If you are ready to find out more information regarding changing your negative thinking patterns, the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! To begin counseling in Katy Texas, follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men’s issues, women’s issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. To learn more about our therapists and counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Alexia Cabreras , Practicum Student Sleep plays a crucial role in our daily lives and mental health. Not only does rest allow us to function, it’s significant in our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Sleep disorders are much more common than we think. It can become much more likely to develop or experience symptoms […]
Sleep plays a crucial role in our daily lives and mental health. Not only does rest allow us to function, it’s significant in our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Sleep disorders are much more common than we think. It can become much more likely to develop or experience symptoms associated with sleep disorders when battling a mental illness.
Understanding the importance of sleep disorders can drastically enhance behavioral and psychological concerns that underlie a more significant problem. Though there are many sleep disorders, I will discuss a few of the most common ones. On top of that, the most effective treatment approaches used in counseling to manage these concerns.
If you experience Insomnia, it may cause you to have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. This condition can be short-term and long-term, but it doesn’t always stick around. It might sometimes come and go and can be unpredictable at times. Disorders like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, are some of the leading causes of Insomnia. The inability to sleep can result in negative thoughts and mental hyperarousal that likely will disturb your sleep. Insomnia can trigger typical anxiety symptoms to be worst, and depression can sometimes result in suicidal thoughts.
On the other hand, Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the muscles supporting the soft tissues in your throat (tongue and soft palate) relax. Sleep apnea ultimately results in your airway narrowing or closing, making it difficult to breathe for a few seconds. Sleep Apnea tends to result in increased anxiety, panic disorder, and depression. It is also recognized as a symptom if you struggle with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. There is no doubt that this sleep disorder has adverse effects on your well-being. Particularly when constantly feeling like you are choking in your sleep, triggering a negative response between your body and brain.
Parasomnia results in an unusual and undesirable physical experience that disrupts your ability to sleep. This sleep disorder often happens before or during sleep and when waking up. This disorder results in abnormal movements, talking, and emotional expressions. Parasomnias are categorized into two stages of sleep. Non-REM (non-rapid eye movement), the deepest stage of sleep, and REM sleep (rapid-eye movement), the minor deep part of our sleep. The most common examples occurring during Non-REM sleep are sleep terrors, sleepwalking, and even sleep paralysis. These are often presenting issues if you are struggling with PTSD or any other traumatic experience in your life.
Whether your mental health is affecting your ability to sleep or vice versa, it’s essential to know how best to manage it. It is crucial when experiencing sleep disorders to develop a system to prepare your body for a consistent sleep schedule. It is also essential to remain compatible with your medications. The lack of consistency can take away from your ability to sleep and get the proper rest.
Attempt to avoid nicotine at all costs. Nicotine suppresses your sleep, results in increased insomnia, and increases your chances of developing sleep apnea in the future. Exercising is also an excellent way to improve your physical and mental health as well as your sleep. These are all tools that can help you reduce the severity of particular sleep disorders on top of your mental health concerns in a non-professional manner.
We’ve talked about some helpful tools one can implement on their own at home, but this isn’t always a solution. If you find that these aren’t helping, this is a sign to seek professional help. Luckily, theoretical approaches can treat mental health problems as well as sleep disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely used form of therapy because therapists can use it for a range of reasons, such as sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are often coexisting symptoms of more significant mental health concerns. For some of you particularly struggling with insomnia, CBT-I is the way to go in order to get this taken care of.
This approach is a structured way to identify and replace any thoughts or behaviors that interfere with your ability to sleep. Your therapists can implement different techniques to meet your needs and desired goals based on what works best for you. Ultimately, sleep disorders do not receive much attention, but conquering them can enhance your well-being in various ways, especially when dealing with a mental health concern.
If you are ready to improve your mental health and sleep, one of the therapists at The Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide mental health counseling, as well as other mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men’s issues, women’s issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Quique Autrey, MS, LPC Associate Does your teenage son often seem overly emotional? Male teens have a difficult time managing their emotions. Parents often report their son’s react in an extreme manner when they fail an important quiz or are ghosted on social media. Like a snowball, these negative reactions to experiences at school, […]
Does your teenage son often seem overly emotional? Male teens have a difficult time managing their emotions. Parents often report their son’s react in an extreme manner when they fail an important quiz or are ghosted on social media. Like a snowball, these negative reactions to experiences at school, the sports field or relationships grow until there’s a real struggle with anxiety or depression. To understand why teens have these extreme emotions one has to understand the relationship between our emotions and our thoughts.
In a nutshell, the cognitive theory of emotions states that our emotional reactions are in large part influenced by the negative thoughts we entertain. Teenage boys need help identifying and reframing the negative thoughts that result in exaggerated emotional reactions. With the proper education and support, teenage boys become aware of the automatic negative thoughts that fill their mind and can utilize tools to help them manage their extreme emotions.
The ancient philosopher Epictetus once wrote, “it is not events that upset us, but our opinions about them.” Teen boys are not usually aware that their thoughts often get fused with their perception of external events. In others words, it is very common for teen boys to believe that their thoughts represent the world as it actually is.
When a teen gets a low score on an assignment or misses an important play, it is common that he’ll have a negative thought about his intelligence or ability. Maybe the teen will think something like, “I’m such an idiot”, or “I suck at sports!” If the teen conflates these thoughts with external reality, then it is likely he will start to feel terrible about himself. If he can recognize that his brain produces negative thoughts that do not reflect the way things really are, he can choose a healthier response to a negative experience. For example, instead of beating himself up for a low test score, he can remind himself that everyone makes mistakes and that he can do better next time.
Record negative thoughts It is easy for teen boys to get overwhelmed by their negative thoughts when these thoughts remain in their head. Writing down negative thoughts can be an effective strategy for two reasons.
First, writing down thoughts (or recording them on an iPhone) help teens identify patterns of negative thinking. After a few weeks of recording negative thoughts, a teen may realize that he keeps thinking that he’s unattractive, unintelligent or deficient in sports. Having a clear sense of the pattern of negative thoughts may help a teen understand why he’s been feeling so inferior to other guys around him. By correcting the negative thoughts, the teen has a greater chance of feeling better about himself.
Secondly, recording negative thoughts helps externalize the thoughts. Externalizing the thoughts gives the teen a better sense that while these thoughts are swirling around his mind, they are not necessarily true or reflective of reality.
Thoughts are like filters through which we view the world. Negative thoughts are like a cracked lens that distort how we view ourselves, other people and our environment. Teen boys need help recognizing that they are looking at the world through a distorted lens, not at the world as it really is. Therapists help teen boys create this distance from their thoughts by guiding them through various exercises. Here is a list of exercises that help teen boys create some distance from their thoughts:
Teens are prone to jump to the worst possible conclusion, usually with very little evidence to despair. In the world of therapy, this is known as catastrophizing. A relatively small mistake or social blunder gets blown out of proportion and interpreted as a catastrophe.
A teen likely imagines his girlfriend has moved on or found a better guy, if he sends a text and doesn’t receive a response. He goes down the rabbit hole and imagines that he’ll never date again. He then starts thinking that there is something fundamentally wrong with him!
One of the most effective ways to stop catastrophizing is to describe the situation in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Instead of interpreting the situation in a way that suggests personal offense (e.g., How could she not respond to me!”), try stating the facts in an impartial manner (e.g., She has not responded to this text in 30 minutes). Stating the facts in an objective manner helps the mind not jump to conclusions or rush to negative emotional associations.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help teenage boys manage their negative emotions. The main focus of using CBT is to help identify and address the distorted thoughts. These distorted thoughts often result in a negative self-image. Your therapist will help you set treatment goals. They will also teach you new ways to think about things that cause you to feel bad about yourself. Then they will teach you new behavioral skills to help you cope with these feelings in a more productive way. The therapists at the Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch are trained in working with teenage boys and the mental health issues that may arise for this population.
There is nothing wrong with your teenage son. He is not too emotional. He simply hasn’t learned how to identify and manage the negative thoughts that are contributing to his anxiety or depression. Many teen guys find relief and build coping skills that can last a lifetime when they seek out professional help. Please do not hesitate to reach out today and call for help!
Contact us today to help your teen get started. The therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide therapy for teenagers as well as other services for people of all ages. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages including: women’s issues, men’s issues, treatment for anxiety, trauma counseling, counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, eating disorder treatment, depression treatment, couples counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs with helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, known as CBT, is becoming more widely used by counselors. Moreover, psychiatrists recommend it for a variety of mental health issues. These issues range from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, phobias, and substance use. CBT can also be helpful to people of most ages. Therapists can cater the treatment […]
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, known as CBT, is becoming more widely used by counselors. Moreover, psychiatrists recommend it for a variety of mental health issues. These issues range from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, phobias, and substance use. CBT can also be helpful to people of most ages. Therapists can cater the treatment to children, adults, and teens. So, if it can be used to assist with different issues and different populations, what exactly is CBT?
Helps identify negative thoughts and irrational ways of thinking. Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. For example, a student may experience increased anxiety if they have the thought, “I am going to fail this test,” right before an exam. This can lead to trouble focusing or being overly distracted during the exam. This possibly may lead to poor performance. Negative thoughts can pop up at any time. We may be unaware of when it is happening until after the fact. However, we can learn to become aware of our thoughts.
In CBT, a trained counselor can assist individuals in becoming aware of negative thoughts. Next, the therapist can help the client challenge those thoughts and add in healthier ways of looking at certain situations. For example, “ I studied and prepared for this test, and am capable of doing well” is a new way of thinking about the exam from above.
Oftentimes, we rely on what we know or what we are used to cope. We may respond to our feelings and thoughts in ways that are not helpful. These unhealthy coping strategies may include:
In counseling, a therapist can help individuals recognize unhealthy behaviors. Unhealthy behaviors are ineffective and can possibly be harmful. CBT techniques can help people identify healthy coping skills. For example, individuals can learn and achieve healthy ways of dealing with feelings, negative thoughts, and stressful situations. Some healthy coping skills can include:
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works as effectively, or more effectively, as other forms of therapy and psychiatric medications (https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral).
Furthermore, CBT can be used to treat many mental health issues. Many studies have shown the effectiveness of CBT for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship issues, self-harm, and substance abuse.
For instance, an individual can learn to identify negative ways of thinking and behaving. Then, can replace those patterns with new, healthier, and more positive thoughts and actions. This can help boost mood and decrease stress. CBT can be structured and short term, and useful for teens, adults, and children.
If you or a loved one are struggling, there is hope. The counselors at the Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We can help individuals and families dealing with stress and struggles. If you are ready to seek help, follow these steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages including: depression treatment, women’s issues, couples and marriage counseling, eating disorder treatment, counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, men’s issues, trauma counseling, anxiety therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs with helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!