Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: A Psychologist's Perspective Using CBT

Have you ever caught yourself spiraling into a cycle of worry or self-doubt? Perhaps you've thought, "I'm such a failure," or "Nothing ever works out for me." These types of thoughts, though they may feel automatic, have a powerful influence on how we feel, behave, and ultimately live our lives.

As a psychologist trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), one of the most transformative insights I've seen with patients is this: changing the way you think can truly change your life. The mind is powerful (In my opinion the most powerful organ we have, my guess is a cardiologist may fight me on this one saying its the heart, but I shall fight back LOL!)

Therapist and patient in CBT session

Understanding the CBT Model

At its core, CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. That means the way we interpret situations can significantly affect how we feel emotionally and what we do in response (actions/behaviors). This model was founded by the late Dr. Aaron Beck in the 1960s. Since then, thousands of research studies have scientifically proven the effectiveness of CBT in treating a variety of mental health conditions and using its concepts to increase a more positive self-worth.

Let's break it down:

• Thoughts: What we tell ourselves about a situation (e.g., "I'll never succeed.")
• Feelings: Our emotional response to that thought (e.g., anxiety, sadness)
• Behaviors: How we react to the thought and feeling (e.g., avoiding a challenge, procrastinating)

So often, we believe that our feelings come directly from external events: "I'm upset because I didn't get the job." But CBT teaches us that it's not the event itself—it's the thoughts we have about the event ("I'm not good enough," "I'll never get a job" versus "There were many candidates applying for that job that may have had more experience than me") that influence our emotional and behavioral responses ("be sad and get into bed and binge on movies" versus "sign up for a seminar to gain more experience in using AI tools in the industry to beef up the resume").

Brain neuroplasticity and how our brains change

The Power of Cognitive Restructuring

One of the core tools in CBT is cognitive restructuring, or learning to identify and challenge negative thoughts. For example......

1. Catch the thought
2. Start by becoming aware of your inner dialogue, especially in moments of distress. What are you telling yourself?

2. Examine the evidence
3. Ask yourself: Is this thought 100% true? What evidence do I have for and against it? It may help to write it down and go through each point

3. Reframe the thought
4. Replace unhelpful thinking with a more balanced and realistic perspective. For example, instead of, saying/thinking "I always fail," you might say, "Sometimes I struggle, but I've also had successes and list them against the negative thoughts."

This isn't about pretending everything is fine or blindly thinking positively. It's about being accurate and fair in your thinking, which leads you to have healthier emotions and more positive behaviors.

CBT cognitive behavioral therapy concept

How Changing Thoughts, Changes Lives

When people learn to recognize and reshape their thought patterns, several things begin to happen:

• Improved mood: Less anxiety, sadness, and self-criticism.
• Healthier behaviors: More action, less avoidance, use of positive distractions to help re-focus.
• Stronger relationships: Better communication and reduced conflict with those around us.
• Greater resilience: The ability to face challenges with a clearer, more constructive mindset.

Our minds are incredibly powerful (the most powerful!!). The thoughts we repeat to ourselves become the lens through which we see the world—and ourselves. Through the practice of CBT, we can learn to take a step back, examine our thinking, and make conscious choices about how we interpret life's events.

It's not magic, and it takes practice. But with time, changing your thoughts can truly change your life.

If you're curious to learn more about how CBT can help you, consider speaking with one of our providers at Hope WMC.

Please click on this link Our Providers.

Dr. Vicki Bolina Executive Clinical Director at Hope WMC