Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Change Your Life
“If we can change what we’re thinking, and/or change what we’re doing, we can change what we’re feeling.”
Like it or not, our childhood experiences lay the foundation for who we are, what we believe, and where we are going in life. It is during childhood, that we come to understand ourselves in relation to others. What we learn as a child becomes the basis of what we call normal. Through our experiences, we create a story of who we are and what we deserve in life.
As child and adolescent therapists, we foster healthy stories. We also encourage clients to challenge the beliefs that no longer serve them or were never accurate in the first place.
Here is an example of how our stories shape our reality. A child in 4th grade feels bullied about about her weight. In 5th grade, this same child, having lost some weight, feels praised. As a result, the child develops a belief system that how she looks defines how she is treated.
However, what if the story she told herself about the connection between her likability and weight loss wasn’t accurate? What if that 4th grader was beautiful just the way she was and another kid sensed she was insecure and took out his insecurities on her by putting her down? What if the way she was treated in 5th grade had everything to do with her improved self-esteem and maturity of her classmates rather than weight loss?
Change the thought, and the feeling will follow. Change the feeling, and the behavior will follow. As a result, a new reality will follow.