Transform Your Life with Helen Godfrey LPC

Hello there! I'm so glad you've come in to learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for anxiety and depression. CBT is one of the most effective types of talk therapy and can be truly life-changing for clients struggling with mood disorders. 

The main premise of CBT is that our thought patterns have an enormous impact on our feelings and behaviors. When we view situations, mistakes, or setbacks in a distorted way, which we all tend to do at times, it fuels our anxiety and depression symptoms. 

We will work collaboratively to pinpoint problematic thought patterns such as black-and-white thinking and filtering out positive experiences. Once we identify the unhelpful self-talk habits, we can start restructuring your thinking by using logic and weighing evidence regarding thought patterns.

I'll provide support through homework assignments and exercises to help you practice and change your responses in a more balanced way. 

The goal of CBT is to equip you with skills and perspective shifts that improve your mental health in the long term. You'll not only feel better during our sessions but develop new thought habits that benefit you for years to come.

Please note: All of my sessions are virtual, either via phone or video. You must be both a Texas resident and physically located in Texas during our appointment.

Anxiety

• I feel nervous, worried, and on edge. constantly. My mind races with negative what-if thoughts, even when there’s no real reason to worry.
• I struggle with sleep problems because my mind won’t stop worrying long enough for me to relax. No matter how exhausted I am, my anxiety keeps me wired.
• Anxiety makes it hard to focus or enjoy the present moment. I’m always distracted by worries about the past and future.
• I feel irritable a lot because I’m constantly on edge. My nerves feel frayed and sensitive.
• Anxiety makes me doubt myself and lose confidence. I feel like I can’t handle challenges.
• Physical symptoms like muscle tension, stomachaches, and rapid heart rate make me feel very uncomfortable.
•  I’m ready to feel calm and relaxed again.

As a CBT therapist, here’s how I can help:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very effective at treating generalized anxiety and reducing anxious thoughts.
• We work to identify anxiety-provoking thought patterns, such as overestimating danger or catastrophizing worst-case scenarios.
• We work on thought-challenging techniques to evaluate anxious thoughts.  This can reduce the fixation on hypothetical “what-ifs.”
• We focus on bringing attention to the present moment, rather than ruminating on the past or future. Mindfulness skills can help significantly.
• I would encourage exposure therapy to gradually face anxiety-provoking situations in a safe way. Avoiding reinforces anxiety, while exposure lessens it.
• We can practice relaxation skills such as controlled breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to calm the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Please note: All of my sessions are virtual, either via phone or video. You must be both a Texas resident and physically located in Texas during our appointment.

Depression

• I feel sad and empty almost every day, even when good things happen. It’s like there’s a heavy weight pressing down on my chest.
• Getting out of bed and starting my day feels like a monumental task, even though I’m able to force myself to go through the motions.
• I used to enjoy my hobbies, but now they don’t give me any pleasure. Nothing seems fun anymore.
• I feel irritated and frustrated easily. Small things annoy me and set me off.
• My thoughts are consumed with regret about the past and worry about the future. I have trouble enjoying the present.
• I feel alone and disconnected from others, even from friends and family who care about me.
• I’m tired all the time, but I have insomnia and trouble sleeping.
• My self-esteem is non-existent. I feel worthless and inadequate.
• I just want to feel better. I want to enjoy life again and not feel sadness and emptiness every day. I know this isn’t how life is supposed to feel.

If this is you, you aren’t alone. As a CBT therapist, here is how I can help:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been clinically proven to be very effective for treating depression.
• I work with you to identify unhealthy thought patterns that are contributing to your depressed mood.
• We look at cognitive distortions such as black-and-white thinking, catastrophic thinking, overgeneralization, etc. that make depressive thoughts feel more believable.
• We work together on skills to challenge distorted thoughts such as examining the evidence for and against the thoughts.
• We work on developing more balanced thinking by considering alternative viewpoints. This can lift the heavy negativity bias that automatically comes with depression.
• To activate behavior changes, we set goals to systematically increase enjoyable activities to provide both a sense of pleasure and accomplishment.
• We track thoughts and behaviors to see how they influence your mood. This increases insight and motivation to continue using your CBT skills.