In today’s society, adults face many challenges in their daily lives. With demanding schedules, the struggle to maintain a work-life balance and increasing mental health concerns, a greater number of adults are reaching out for therapeutic assistance to help them cope with their day to day lives and break down their barriers to happiness. With the help of a qualified mental health professional, many are able to work through the problems they are facing, recognize their coping techniques and use their established resources and strengths to live healthier, happier lives.
Adult Therapy – A Journey Toward a Healthier, Happier Life
While some individuals shy away from therapy because they associate it with weakness or feelings of inferiority, seeking the assistance of a qualified mental health professional is actually a testament of strength and displays a willingness to take responsibility for life’s most difficult events and seek out positive change. An adult therapist provides a high level of support and insight into challenging situations and assists clients in honing in on existing strengths in order to overcome obstacles to happiness.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Explained
When it comes to adult therapy, one method that has shown particular effectiveness in various clinical studies is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT as it is often referred to, is a collaborative effort between a therapist and her client that incorporates empathy, warmth and genuineness. The initial goal of CBT is to develop a clear understanding of the problems or barriers at hand and devise a path toward remedying those barriers and breaking down maladaptive patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is goal oriented, directive and time limited, meaning the individual seeking therapy is assisted in understanding the specific purpose of their sessions in order to direct their attention toward resolving or adjusting negative thought patterns with a clear end in sight. For many, CBT sessions are more effective than other forms of therapy, such as psychoanalysis, in a much shorter period of time. Several clinical studies have shown that adults participating in CBT often see significant improvement in 16 sessions or less. The end result of successful CBT is positive life changes that incorporate the adult’s strengths and lead to a happier, more fulfilling lifestyle.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults – Past and Current Uses
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was initially used for adults facing depression and anxiety. While this style of therapy is still a top choice for therapists assisting clients with these concerns today, it has also proven effective in treating other conditions including eating disorders, substance abuse problems, sleep disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, in adults. Basically, CBT works by helping a client to identify a problematic way of thinking. In the case of ADHD, this might mean that a client realizes he believes he is stupid because of poor grades and progress in his educational career. In the case of an anxiety disorder, this might mean the person comes to the realization that she always believes she is in danger. Once this line of thinking is established, the therapist works with the client to challenge thought patterns and paint a more realistic picture of why life experiences are the way they are. Next, the client is taught to recognize strengths and reshape feelings, thoughts and associated actions. This leads to the individual learning how to adapt thinking patterns and develop more productive behaviors and a healthier self image.
CBT is an effective adult therapeutic tool for individuals of all ages and in all walks of life, but it is important to seek the assistance of an experienced, trained therapist to gain the greatest results in the shortest amount of time. A qualified therapist will conduct an initial consultation and understand any barriers the individual is facing before therapy begins. The therapist will then tailor future sessions to assist the client in overcoming any barriers and empower the client to feel comfortable and successful in the therapeutic relationship.
Approaches to CBT for Adults
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for adults is sometimes a stand-alone treatment, and it is sometimes combined with medications for those who require them. Consulting with a qualified mental health professional is the best way to decide how this course of treatment should be used in your particular situation and what, if any, additional medications or therapeutic practices you might also benefit from.
As a professional psychotherapist in San Diego, I have witnessed the many benefits that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers adults. I believe in empowering clients to recognize their own barriers to happiness and overcome them with the strengths that exist inside them, and that is a primary reason why CBT is one of many therapeutic approaches I use in my daily practice. If you are seeking a San Diego adult therapist to assist with any of the obstacles that life has thrown your way, contact my office today to schedule a free, no obligation CBT consultation. Together, we can work toward improving your outlook on life and moving toward your happier tomorrow.
According to a recent Gallup poll, more than 51-percent of Americans want to lose weight, but only about 25-percent have found a way to seriously work toward their goal of shedding pounds and losing inches. Diets are complex, and most weight loss plans either do not work or work slowly, meaning results are not seen for weeks or months. Add to this the fact that many individuals fail to address the underlying reasons for obesity, and it easy to understand the large discrepancy between those who want to shed pounds and those actually doing something about it.
In an ongoing effort to find new methods that help individuals work through the physical and psychological reasons behind being overweight, there is a resurging interest in hypnosis for weight loss. With hypnosis, individuals are able to change their perspective about food, disassociate their real self from negative thoughts and images that are inside the mind, re-frame negative images to ones that are more positive and learn how to recognize what they really want when they are using food as a coping mechanism.
Undergoing a hypnosis session for weight loss involves entering an altered state of consciousness that allows for a new level of relaxation. In this state, individuals are more open to positive suggestions and often realize the inner strengths that can help them to lose weight effectively and keep unwanted pounds off. Hypnosis sessions might also include guided visualization which helps you to see the journey you are on and watch yourself eating healthier foods, making positive lifestyle changes and losing unwanted pounds. Visualizing yourself as success can be very powerful, and it can help to re-frame any negative thoughts that currently exist inside your mind.
The idea of undergoing hypnosis for weight loss is sometimes scary, but it helps to realize that hypnotic trances occur normally in our day to day lives. Self-induced states of hypnosis occur when individuals fall into a daydream at the office, feel zoned out in front of a favorite television show or in any way become less aware of the outside environment. While in a hypnotic state, the mind is simply more open to suggestions, and individuals cannot be forced to do anything that goes against their moral beliefs or personal values.
One of the most effective ways to use hypnosis when trying to lose weight is to combine it with cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy offers very effective strategies that can help you to develop coping techniques and overcome negative thought patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you to recognize barriers to your weight loss, develop techniques to overcome those barriers and set realistic goals that can help you to obtain a healthier lifestyle and body. Your therapist provides regular feedback regarding your efforts and results and keeps you motivated with positive reinforcement and a re-framed mindset focusing on what you can achieve when it comes to losing weight.
While skeptics still exist regarding the effectiveness of combining cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy for weight loss, research on this subject has surprisingly positive outcomes. In a 1985 issue of The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, a study was analyzed that included 109 people who completed a behavioral therapy program for weight loss. Half of the subjects had a hypnosis element added to their program. Subjects with receiving solely cognitive behavioral therapy had as much weight loss success as those receiving additional hypnotherapy, but the subjects who participated in hypnosis continued to lose weight at eight-month and two-year follow-ups in significant numbers. Those who received only cognitive behavioral therapy did not.
Another important piece of research conducted by the University of Connecticut regarding hypnosis as a form of therapy to benefit weight loss efforts looked at 19 studies comparing cognitive behavioral therapy as an exclusive program for weight loss versus cognitive behavioral therapy subsidized by hypnosis. Findings showed that adding hypnosis increased weight loss efforts for 90-percent of the participants and helped subjects to maintain their weight loss efforts up to two years after studies ended.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and practicing therapist, it is my professional opinion that the best approach to losing weight is to combine healthy eating habits, regular exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and hypnotherapy. When taking this approach, it is important to seek out a qualified therapist with experience in various interventions. Visit with the therapist prior to your hypnosis session, and make sure that the individual helps you to feel relaxed and comfortable in the office. Your therapist should empower you with words and coping techniques in order to assist you in conquering your negative mindset so you can overcome your weight loss challenges. If you are interested in hypnotherapy for weight loss in San Diego, contact my office to schedule a consultation.
San Diego Smoking Cessation Hypnotherapy Treatment
If you are a smoker, quitting is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health and increase your chances for a higher quality, longer lifespan. While there is no disputing the scientific evidence behind the benefits of quitting smoking, stopping cold turkey is almost impossible for most, and finding an effective smoking cessation aid with long term benefits also proves challenging.
For many, hypnosis has proven to be an effective tool in their journey toward breaking the nicotine habit. Hypnosis sets individuals into a more relaxed state of mind where they are open to positive suggestions but still in complete control of their own free will. While in a hypnotic state, individuals are awake and cannot be convinced to do anything they do not want to. Understanding this often helps clients to release any fears regarding hypnotic sessions and open up to this therapeutic method.
What are the hypnotherapy methods for smoking cessation?
There are several different hypnotherapy methods used for smoking cessation. Some involve recorded scripts that can be purchased in bookstores, electronically or by mail, and others involve meeting with a qualified therapist for sessions. While both styles have proven successful for some, the biggest advantage of personal hypnotherapy sessions with a hypnotist is that the scripts can be tailored to the individual, and this often leads to more effective, longer lasting results that are completely customized for each person.
When visiting a mental health professional for hypnotherapy sessions to quit smoking, expect to begin with a consultation where your therapist will review any pertinent medical information and explain the hypnosis process. Once you are comfortable, your therapist will guide you into a relaxed state and begin to introduce suggestions that will help you on your path to smoking cessation. These suggestions are part of the script that will be used during any subsequent sessions, and they are also often shared with clients to be used as part of subsidizing self-hypnosis sessions that can take place at home. Most sessions last about an hour, and most people find that they benefit from multiple sessions in order to reinforce positive suggestions and clear negative thought patterns.
Other ways to quit smoking
Hypnosis is not the only way to treat nicotine addictions. Other methods include patches, gums, inhalers and prescription nasal sprays or pills. While all of these methods prove effective for some, the disadvantages of them include side effects like dizziness, headaches, vomiting, muscle control concerns and birth defects in expecting mothers. While the risks of continuing smoking outweigh many of these side effects, it is important to search out safer smoking cessation methods if you hope to preserve your overall health. Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are effective options that lack dangerous side effects, and they can be safely continued for as long as necessary to better assure long lasting results.
What is the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to quit smoking?
When it comes to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy to quit smoking, many studies have shown a high level of success. In 2007, Science Daily reported on a study of cardiac hospital patients who were trying to quit smoking. Two groups of doctors at North Shore Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital compared the long term quit rates of 67 smokers who were admitted to their hospital. During hospitalization, some study participants received hypnotherapy, and other patients received nicotine replacement therapy or nicotine replacement therapy with hypnotherapy. Some participants also chose to quit cold turkey. At 26 weeks post discharge, 50-percent of patients receiving either hypnotherapy or hypnotherapy with NRT were still non-smokers compared to only 25-percent of patients in the control group and less than 16-percent in the NRT group. Hypnotherapy patients received ongoing, intensive counseling, follow-up phone calls at various weekly intervals and self-hypnosis scripts to use at home.
Some studies have shown that smoking cessation with hypnotherapy may be more effective for men than for women, but researchers believe this is not an indication of the overall effectiveness of hypnotherapy, rather, it is an indicator that women have a more difficult time quitting than men do. In Honolulu, researchers analyzed a total of 18 studies regarding the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for those trying to quit smoking, and they found that 30-percent of men using these programs were successful at quitting versus about 23-percent of women. Joseph Green, Associate Professor at Ohio State University, believes these results lend to the fact that consumers should use caution when selecting any smoking cessation program that promises results after only one session and consider trying multiple approaches concurrently to optimize their chances of long term success.
As a practicing therapist with specialized experience in hypnotherapy, I have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of hypnosis for individuals who are trying to stop smoking. In my practice, I assist clients in feeling comfortable and confident and guide them into deep meditative states where they are susceptible to positive suggestions that empower them to quit. Through multiple sessions and careful follow-up, I help my clients to reach their goals of quitting smoking and assist them in achieving a higher quality life and optimal health. If you are interested in pursuing San Diego smoking cessation hypnotherapy sessions, contact me for more information.
In today’s society, adults face many challenges in their daily lives. With demanding schedules, the struggle to maintain a work-life balance and increasing mental health concerns, a greater number of adults are reaching out for therapeutic assistance to help them cope with their day to day lives and break down their barriers to happiness. With the help of a qualified mental health professional, many are able to work through the problems they are facing, recognize their coping techniques and use their established resources and strengths to live healthier, happier lives.
According to a recent Gallup poll, more than 51-percent of Americans want to lose weight, but only about 25-percent have found a way to seriously work toward their goal of shedding pounds and losing inches. Diets are complex, and most weight loss plans either do not work or work slowly, meaning results are not seen for weeks or months. Add to this the fact that many individuals fail to address the underlying reasons for obesity, and it easy to understand the large discrepancy between those who want to shed pounds and those actually doing something about it.
For many, hypnosis has proven to be an effective tool in their journey toward breaking the nicotine habit. Hypnosis sets individuals into a more relaxed state of mind where they are open to positive suggestions but still in complete control of their own free will. While in a hypnotic state, individuals are awake and cannot be convinced to do anything they do not want to. Understanding this often helps clients to release any fears regarding hypnotic sessions and open up to this therapeutic method.