The National Social Anxiety Center supports Naomi Osaka’s decision to take time off to focus on her mental health and well-being. We admire her courage in sharing her own struggle with social anxiety and related depression. In doing so, Ms. Osaka is bringing more awareness to the issue of mental health in sports and the broader struggles of individuals in our society.
If you have social anxiety, avoidant coping modes may help you avoid activation of your schemas and your inner critic. Schemas are broad, pervasive themes regarding oneself and others, developed during childhood and reinforced throughout one’s lifetime. They tend to be unhelpful to a significant degree. In social anxiety, schemas may consist of core beliefs related to fear of being judged, criticized by others, or embarrassing oneself.
For many years, you may have been told that your OCD behaviors are too extreme and that you need to wash less and worry less. Now with Covid-19, it seems everyone is washing and worrying. How do you know the difference between healthy behaviors and OCD? The Covid-19 pandemic may be impacting your OCD symptoms, including your obsessions and/or your compulsions. If this is the
In a recent online forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Donn Posner, the forum’s featured speaker, said sleep problems are becoming more common and offered tips for falling and staying asleep. A summary of his speech was published in The Harvard Gazette. His main points were: Even though it may seem counterintuitive after a lost night’s sleep, avoid napping, or at
If you have OCD, the messages in the media can be confusing. Your therapist and the OCD literature have been telling you not to wash your hands, to stop checking and to accept uncertainty. Now everyone is saying the opposite and now it seems like it really is a serious risk. How do you know what to do? How do you know when it is
Uncertainty is a part of our every day lives. For some, uncertainty can trigger anxiety. Although cognitive behavior therapy and other interventions are helpful to those with social anxiety and other anxiety disorders, uncertainty can have a negative impact on the effectiveness of those interventions. One of our therapists, Erica Russell, wrote a blog for the National Social Anxiety Center. Erica dives into the topic
Disclosing a mental illness to someone can be very anxiety provoking, but it can also be a good step in the right direction towards recovery. There are many things to consider when disclosing to another. What do you disclose, how much do you disclose, who do you disclose to, when do you disclose… the list goes on and on. The International OCD Foundation posted a
New Years is a time to reflect on your life and reevaluate the things you want to change or improve. It is easy to come up with a list of goals, but often times those goals are given up on relatively quickly. It is incredibly common for New Years resolutions to be given up on by February. Here are some helpful ways to try and
It’s that time of year again… Michael Bublé playing on the radio, cool air blowing the leaves off the trees, twinkle lights all around. It is a common belief that people are supposed to be happy around the holidays. You see it all over social media – a newly engaged couple picking out their Christmas tree, a group of friends ice skating at the local
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living Author: Russ Harris Russ Harris, in his book The Happiness Trap, does a fantastic job of breaking down the concepts of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into digestible and manageable steps in order to untangle from the unworkable control strategies humans use to try to “solve” internal experiences. We all tend to fight “negative” or
International Stress Awareness Day It’s International Stress Awareness Day. We wanted to highlight the types of stress, the effects of negative stress, and some ways to help cope with stress. It is common for people to believe that all stress is negative, but that is not actually true. There is such a thing as positive stress, also known as eustress. Some positive examples of stress
Love Me, Don’t Leave Me: Overcoming Fear and Abandonment & Building Lasting, Loving Relationships Author: Michelle Skeen It’s now common to hear things among our communities like “I have abandonment issues,” or “I’m scared of my partner leaving,” but we tend not to think about the core fears (mistrust and abuse, emotional deprivation, defectiveness, and failure) that accompany these statements. The book Love Me, Don’t
Everyday Mindfulness for OCD: Tips, Tricks and Skills for Living Joyfully By Jon Hershfield and Shala Nicely Written by two clinicians who are honest about having their own personal struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Everyday Mindfulness for OCD offers a unique perspective on strategies for staying one step ahead of OCD symptoms. As the title implies, the authors present tips not for just living despite
Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents Question: Would there be any difference in your answer to this question – What time are you picking me up from school today? – if your child was anxious or not? Answer: Hopefully! Reassurance-seeking is a major problem behavior in kids who are anxious. They continue to ask the same question well beyond the point at which they understand the answer.
It’s OCD Awareness Week! October 7th – 13th OCD Awareness Week is an international community effort to raise awareness and understanding about OCD and related disorders. OCD affects up to 4 million people in the United States alone. The goal of the week is to help more people to get timely access to appropriate and effective treatment. Locally, Rogers Behavioral Health in Walnut Creek is
Cognitive Behavior Therapy 101 Often in our initial assessment appointment, a new client will ask “so what is Cognitive Behavior Therapy anyway?” Most people have read some about the disorder they are seeking help for and know that CBT is the treatment of choice, but CBT itself can be a mystery. The CBT Viewpoint In order to understand what CBT treatment is like, you first
Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts By: Sally M. Winston and Martin N. Seif If you have ever struggled with unwanted intrusive thoughts, thoughts such as: “what if I get into a terrible car accident?”, “I could just jump off of this building since there’s no guard rail”, or “maybe I did something illegal in the
The Worry Trap By Chad LeJeune, PhD Most people have had the experience of worrying at some point in their lives. Anticipating problems, focusing on a potential negative event, and posing “what if” questions are all common thoughts from time to time. Yet when the worry-mindset becomes frequent and excessive, it can create a myriad of problematic symptoms ranging from physical, social, emotional, and behavioral.
CBT Skills and Your Health In A Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Health, the New York Times reports that actively enhancing positive emotions can boost your immune system and reduce depression. Studies have shown a link between having a positive outlook and health benefits like lower blood pressure and heart disease, better weight control and healthier blood sugar levels. CBT Skills that Work In a
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Skills to Become More Mindful and Manage Anxiety Mindfulness meditation has become equated with being mindful. But there are alternate ways to build your mindfulness skills. Here’s a way to use CBT skills to become more mindful and manage worry. Read the New York Times article Achieving Mindfulness at Work, No Meditation Cushion Required on a new approach. Some of the main ideas
Here’s a letter one of male teen clients wrote after successful completion of cognitive behavior therapy. It’s a very motivating letter for all ages even adults! Dear Self, The engine of my car rumbled when I came here, but the funny thing was that I didn’t even know where I was going. Then my parents said “Remember those scary pictures the kids showed you and
Halloween’s Growing Popularity Can Lead to Social Anxiety Halloween used to be primarily a kid’s holiday. In recent years, Halloween has transformed from a kid-centric holiday into an $8 billion a year industry for everyone. Two in three adults believe Halloween is a holiday for them and not just kids. Many companies allow, and even encourage employees to wear costumes. Halloween’s creep also extends to pets.
What is Introversion? Introversion is “the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life.” According to the Myers-Briggs inventory, introverts are more likely to think, “I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center Designated a Specialty Outpatient Clinic by International OCD Foundation The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley and Sacramento Valley has been designated as a Specialty Outpatient Clinic by the International OCD Foundation. A Specialty Outpatient Clinic is defined as: 1) A minimum of three, licensed clinicians who maintain a professional membership in the IOCDF working in the same outpatient clinic.
Stories of Hope and Resilience in Mental Health Read Laura Johnson’s book review of “Same Time Next Week” on Positive Psychology New Daily: http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/laura-lc-johnson/2015060331717 How to Get Help for Anxiety, OCD and Anxiety-Related Problems The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley and Sacramento Valley specializes in Anxiety, OCD and Anxiety-Related Problems in adults, children and teenagers. We have two convenient locations to serve you.
A Fun Day in Nature in Carmel Valley On Sunday, May 17, the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley employees and their family members spend the day in the very special nature retreat in the Santa Lucia Preserve. As a team, we enjoyed breakfast in the Hacienda, a hike on the Williams Canyon trail, a picnic by the lake and horseback riding on Garzas
An Important Twist on the Mindful Moment by Reid Wilson, Ph.D. Anxious clients enter treatment in the position of resistance. If they are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, they’ve got to be resisting. They want that discomfort to go away, which is totally understandable. But the stance of ‘I don’t want this to be happening’ gives Anxiety the upper hand, because the mind & body
New CBT Center of Anxiety and OCD Opening in Roseville, CA On June 1st, the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center is expanding to the Sacramento Valley with a new branch office in Roseville, CA. The name of the new office is Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Sacramento Valley. With our convenient location on Douglas Boulevard in Roseville just minutes from I-80, the new CBT Center will serve
Announcing Our Membership in the National Social Anxiety Center The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center • Silicon Valley / Sacramento Valley is proud to announce that we have joined the National Social Anxiety Center, a prestigious alliance of CBT Centers around the country with certified cognitive therapists specializing in evidence-based therapy for social anxiety. Social anxiety (which includes performance anxiety, selective mutism, assertiveness, many types of
In the Boston Globe, I read that four smart and talented students at MIT committed suicide within the past year. Among its efforts to help students cope with stress, MIT is encouraging students to talk about the psychological phenomenon called “impostor syndrome,” the feeling of being a failure despite a record of accomplishment. What is Impostor Syndrome? Impostor syndrome is common among high achievers, many
Best Counselor in Saratoga, CA, for Two Years in a Row The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley has joined the Saratoga Business Hall of Fame by being selected as the Best Counselor for two years in a row. We are honored to have been selected for this prestigious award in 2014 and 2015. We will continue to provide high quality and effective therapy
A New Way of Thinking about Coping Styles in Schema Therapy Cathy Flanagan, one of the original developers of the schema therapy model with its founder, Jeffrey Young, recently published an article in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Psychotherapy Integration (2014 Vol. 24, No 3, 208-222) where she describes eight modes, or coping styles, that healthy individuals experience. Modes are distinct patterns representing coping
RO-DBT: Your Path to a More Flexible Life and Joyful Experiences Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, Center Director, attended a two-day workshop on Radically-Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT) led by its founder, Thomas Lynch, PhD, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton, UK. RO-DBT is an evidence-based approach to help individuals become more flexible in their thinking and responding, more open to life experiences that
By Caitlyn Oscarson, LMFT and Erica Russell, LPCC, LMFT OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute 2015 From January 30th to February 1st, we had the pleasure of attending the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute at UCLA. The Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) is an intensive three-day training for clinicians who are treating clients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. As one of the most prestigious
I just returned from a two-day Schema Therapy Workshop at the New Jersey Institute for Schema Therapy. The training was led by Wendy Behary, the Founder and Director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The New Jersey Institute for Schema Therapy and President of the International Society of Schema Therapy. While I have been using Schema Therapy concepts with some clients already,
I recently attended the Beck Institute’s training on Cognitive Therapy for Depression and Suicidality in San Francisco. The Beck Institute was established by Dr. Aaron Beck, the father of CBT, and his daughter, Dr. Judith Beck. As a world-renowned resource for training in CBT, I felt extremely lucky to attend this event and receive training from some of the CBT field’s most prominent members. The three-day
Note: This article was first published on Positive Psychology News Daily on August 25, 2014 Counseling Psychology is Positive and Strength-Based Many psychotherapists across many different theoretical models and client populations are already using a positive, strength-based approach to therapy. I was fortunate to graduate from Santa Clara University’s Counseling Psychology Program. The courses were diverse and included positive psychology, health psychology, mindfulness-based stress reduction,
OCD Foundation’s Annual Conference I recently attended the 21st annual OCD Conference in Los Angeles put on by the International OCD Foundation. The conference was well organized and had a wide variety of session topics from highly respected speakers in the field of OCD and OCD spectrum disorders with respect to research and treatment. By OCD spectrum, I’m referring to issues such as Trichotillomania,
Exposure and Response (Ritual) Prevention for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) I recently attended intensive training in Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. In addition to terrific presentations by Dr. Elna Yadin, OCD Clinic Director, and staff members, we were honored with a Q&A session with Dr. Edna Foa.
Hello there. My name is Laura Johnson. I am the founder and director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley. I was born in New York and my family moved to Miami when I was four years old. I am multicultural product of an American mother (of Polish and Austrian descent) and a Cuban father, who came to the United States as a teenager.
My Personal Experience with Cognitive Behavior Therapy I’ve had a passion for cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) since the late 1990s when I experienced how broadening my perspective improved my life. I came across CBT in an unusual way. I was attending a four day leadership development seminar. As an introvert, I was struggling in a highly political corporate culture and needed help improving my confidence
CBT and Mindfulness for Social Anxiety Did you know that by practicing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness, you can create new circuits in your brain? You can actually change your brain so it’s more flexible, focused and compassionate. We’ve known for a while that CBT and mindfulness work for many problems especially stress, anxiety and depression. New research is emerging from Stanford University and
Growing up, I did not consider myself to be a lucky person. I often heard my father saying things like “Everything I buy breaks. I have the worst luck.” When I was nine, I won a holiday raffle at school for a plastic candy cane filled with M&Ms. I was sick that day, the only day I missed that year, and the teacher re-drew names.
CBT Center in the Mercury News Read about the opening of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley in the Mercury News.
Chronic Unhappiness is Hard to Change It’s challenging to try to help people change who have had a lifetime of mental suffering and hold deeply-entrenched negative beliefs about themselves and the world. The other day I was working with a client who yelled out in pain, “There’s nothing positive about my situation!” I sat there feeling helpless because I could see his strengths, but my
What is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)? Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is a type of “personality disorder” with these characteristics: Rigid adherence to rules and regulations An overwhelming need for order Unwillingness to yield or give responsibilities to others A sense of righteousness about the way things “should be done” What are the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)? Excessive devotion to work
Many therapists integrate cognitive-behavioral techniques into their therapy approach. However, there are 11 skills that therapists who are experts in CBT try to practice in nearly every session. The list below is from the certification criteria of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. In order to get certified, therapists must submit an audio tape of a complete session demonstrating competence in all 11 skills. I went
Anxiety is Sneaky You’re doing fine, and then suddenly you feel like you can’t breathe. Maybe your chest hurts, and you’re convinced you’re having a heart attack. Maybe something happened, like your car won’t start or you heard layoffs might be coming at your company. Or maybe you can’t pinpoint why you are feeling like you are – you woke up in the middle of the
How Can You Tell If Your Child is Gifted? The process of identifying gifted and talented children is a very complex and highly controversial topic. Much of the available literature focuses on the recognition and identification of intellectually and/or academically gifted children. Schools that have programs for gifted students are often able to identify gifted kids by using traditional screening methods like group IQ tests, review of
OCD Quiz: Do You Have Symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? The following questionnaire will help you identify the types of problems and symptoms that most trouble you. Don’t be surprised if you check more than one item in several groups. Many people have more than one type of OCD symptoms. In addition, OCD can appear in many different forms so it is possible that your particular symptoms
When you show up for therapy, it’s natural to assume you are ready to change, right? Otherwise, why would you be paying a therapist to help you work toward a solution? However, sometimes after a few sessions, you may find your motivation is uneven and you aren’t sure you want to do the work involved in getting better and changing your life. That’s where an
If you are a hard core perfectionist, you’ve probably been criticized at some point for it and your perfectionism might have even annoyed or been intimidating to others. There are lots of advantages to being a perfectionist like striving to do your best, producing great work, being successful, paying attention to details, making fewer errors and being someone people can count on. Some disadvantages of
Definition of Resilience: the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens What is Resilience? Resilience is the process of adapting positively in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, health problems or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences. Being resilient does not
OCD Treatment for Children and Teenagers I just had the honor of attending the OCD Foundation’s first-ever Behavior Therapy Training Institute on Pediatric OCD, which was held at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Wisconsin in mid-September. The treatment for children and teens with OCD is not all that different from adults. The main components of OCD treatment include: Education/Rapport Building (what is OCD? building the client’s
Making Mindful Choices What is Mood-Dependent Behavior? Mood-dependent behavior is when you act on a feeling or an urge without pausing to consider the consequences or whether the behavior is appropriate to the situation. Often, mood-dependent behaviors will feel automatic and like they happen too quickly for you to have a choice. Mood-dependent behaviors may seem out of your control and difficult to change because
When potential new clients call me, they often ask if cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) works and what the success rate is. I say, “It depends on your motivation level and whether you are willing to practice the skills in between sessions.” Fitness for the Brain CBT is fitness for the brain. There are many different skills you can learn, like mindfulness, awareness of emotions and
I just got back from a three-day workshop at the Beck Institute in Philadelphia on Teaching and Supervising Staff in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. While the content of the workshop will help me improve the CBT staff training program at the CBT Center, the most invigorating part of the workshop was the opportunity to learn from the other participants. There were about 50 professors and expert
Soothing with the Five Senses Self-soothing is a key part of self-care. The goal of self-soothing is to comfort yourself emotionally and physically by doing things that are sensually pleasant and not harmful. Self-soothing is a mindfulness practice when you are focusing your full attention on the feelings being experienced by your five senses. By being fully present on what you are experiencing in the
The New York Times recently published an article that examines the difference between evidence-based CBT and what they call the “dim sum” approach, which is the eclectic approach many therapists use when they integrate strategies from a variety of different types of therapies. Here’s a quote from the article: “CBT refers to a number of structured, directive types of psychotherapy that focus on the thoughts
Are You Focused on Learning to Be The Best or Trying to Prove You Already Are? “Be Good” goals are about proving yourself (being good). When you are striving to “be good,” you are focused on showing yourself and others that you are already completely competent. You are focused on the end result of your performance and showing everyone that you are already the best
Baby Steps Can Lead You Down the Road of Success. Set smaller goals and get bigger results? This might seem counterintuitive to you. And if it does, you are not alone. We’re all used to hearing about stretch goals, and when you feel empowered, stretch goals are inspiring and motivating. But when you feel overwhelmed, stretch goals can create paralysis and result in procrastination. When
In July, I had the privilege of traveling to Chicago to observe a two-day intensive live Anxiety & OCD treatment group led by Reid Wilson, Ph.D. There were eight people in the group with anxiety and OCD, many of whom had been suffering for years with chronic anxiety, panic, social anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, mental rituals and/or compulsive behaviors. I was skeptical the morning of
Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center Opens in Convenient West Valley Location The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center, Adult & Child Counseling Inc. is a professional corporation providing evidence based treatments for anxiety, OCD and related issues such as eating and sleep problems. “I opened this Center because there is a great need for places where consumers can get real cognitive behavior therapy in the Bay Area. CBT