Online Counseling
Congratulations to saying YES to your Life!
Online Counseling is private, secure and effective!
- Research shows that online counseling and therapy is just as effective as in-person treatment
- Enjoy the privacy of your own home while getting the help you deserve
- Online counseling is 100 % safe: your personal information remain 100% confidential
How it works?
- Schedule a free 15 minute consultation.
Let’s Talk! You can use your time to ask anything you want and I will give a deeper sense of how I can assist you. To schedule an initial consultation, simply email me: - Let’s find out if we’re a good fit for each other.
- Begin your online counseling from the comfort of your own home.
Payment
- At the moment I do not accept any insurance plans.
- This “one-size-fits-all” policy is the antithesis of my individualized approach. Each person’s issue is unique with varying levels of intensity and strengths.
- This “one-size-fits-all” policy is the antithesis of my individualized approach. Each person’s issue is unique with varying levels of intensity and strengths.
- Online counseling takes 50 minutes and its rates will be discussed during your initial consultation. (free of charge- 15 minutes)
- Payments are accepted via bank transfer and Stripe, Paypal
- Drop me a message! Looking forward to hearing from you.
Read my article on How Do You Identify and Change Cognitive Distortions?
How Do You Identify and Change Cognitive Distortions?
Cognitive distortions are twisted or biased attitudes, approaches, and beliefs about ourselves and our world. They are irrational, unhelpful thoughts that we unknowingly reinforce over time.
These thoughts are often subtle, and it’s difficult to recognize when they are a regular feature of your daily thinking system. That is why they can be so damaging. Since it’s hard to change what you don’t recognize as something that needs to change. As human beings, we have likely fallen for a few of the numerous cognitive distortions at one time or another.
The difference between those who occasionally stumble into cognitive distortions and those who struggle with them more long-term is the ability to identifyand change these irrational, unhelpful thinking patterns.
Much of the knowledge around cognitive distortions comes from research by two psychologists: Aaron Beck (founder of CBT/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: the idea that our thought patterns and deeply held beliefs about ourselves and the world around us drive our experiences) and David Burns.
What are the most common cognitive distortions?
- All-or-nothing thinking: This polarized thinking often shows up in adults facing perfectionism.
- Jumping to conclusions (usually negative) with little or no proof.
- Emotional reasoning: I feel embarrassed, so I must be an idiot.
- “Should” and “must” statements (like I should always do my best) are negative because they cause the person to feel guilty and upset about themselves.
- Personalization is finger-pointing or assigning personal blame disproportionate to the level of control a person realistically has in a given situation
- Magnification and minimization: The positive characteristics of other people or situations are exaggerated, and their negative characteristics are understated.
- Disqualifying the positive: rejecting positive experiences by insisting they “don’t count” for some reason.
- Catastrophizing or experiencing a situation as unbearable or impossible when it is uncomfortable.
- Overgeneralization: Because I felt uncomfortable at the get-together, I don’t have what it takes to make friends.
- Mental filtering: An individual focuses only on the negative details of a situation and filters out the positive aspects.
Once negative thoughts are identified, CBT counsellors/therapists guide individuals in challenging their validity and replacing them with more realistic and balanced thoughts. For instance, a counsellor may help individuals struggling with social anxiety reframe their thoughts to, “People are generally focused on themselves, not me,” or “Mistakes are a normal part of social interactions.”
How do you assist yourself in realizing and changing
your unhelpful thoughts?
- Stop and say it to yourself (silently, in your head) as soon as you realize you are caught up in your mind and busy with a certain thought. This helps to put a space between the stimulus (whatever we’re reacting to) and your response. The earlier you use STOP, the more effective and easier it will be.
- Take a deep breath. Bringing your attention to your breathing and allowing yourself to take it in deeper and slower will calm you down and lower the physical reaction of adrenaline or catastrophe. Focusing on your breathing means you’re not so focused on the thought of distress. This helps your mind clear, and you’ll start thinking more realistically.
- Observe: Become aware of the thoughts going through your mind, notice what you’re feeling in your body, and pay attention to the urge to react impulsively. We can start identifying the vicious cycle of thought-feeling (anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.) This helps us defuse those thoughts and feelings and reduce their power and control.
- Perspective: This is about thinking differently—the thought-challenging aspect of CBT. If we step back from any situation, we’ll start to see the bigger picture, reducing the weight of those troublesome thoughts. We can assist ourselves by asking questions such as: What role does extreme thinking play in my day-to-day decision-making? In what areas do I rely more on my thoughts than facts? In what areas do I rely more on my feelings than facts? What have been the consequences of doing so?
- Practice what works; this is about doing things differently—the behavioural change of CBT. Rather than reacting out of impulse, which often has unhelpful consequences, we can choose a more helpful and self-caring response.
CBT is a powerful approach that has helped countless individuals regain control over their lives and achieve emotional well-being. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, self-sabotage, or other mental health concerns, CBT offers practical tools and strategies to empower you.
