Jason Magill (he/him/his)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps us understand how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected. It helps us challenge our "stinkin' thinkin'" or perceptions about what has happened. In fact, situations themselves do not have the power to make us react in certain ways. How we perceive the situations determines our responses. You've likely developed some thoughts about yourself and the world (core beliefs) based on these interactions between situations and how you perceive them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps us understand how our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected. It helps us challenge our "stinkin' thinkin'" or perceptions about what has happened. In fact, situations themselves do not have the power to make us react in certain ways. How we perceive the situations determines our responses. You've likely developed some thoughts about yourself and the world (core beliefs) based on these interactions between situations and how you perceive them.

Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we work to address behaviors that do not work and address the difficulties that lead us to behave that way. Teaching new skills is a major tennet of DBT. Children and adolescents often do well with DBT because of the non-judgmental and validating approach. Unlike CBT, DBT is more accepting of the thinking behind the behaviors, even if the goals of changing the maladaptive behaviors remain the same in both orientations.

Sometimes clients are stuck or unmotivated to change troublesome behaviors. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is designed to help motivate clients to change and understand their ambivalence. Unlike other approaches that may be non-directive and exploratory, MI is more goal-directed and attempts to influence clients to consider making the changes needed to improve their lives. MI also sees the therapist and client relationship as a partnership and thus attempts to avoid confrontation.

We all experience anxiety sometimes, but some of us may experience anxiety at levels that control how we function. It may prevent us from living our best life. It can cause some of us to have panic attacks -where our natural fight or flight response takes over, but out of context. We will work to better understand what may be the root of the anxiety and develop plans and tools for dealing with anxiety producing situations.

With all of the changes happening recently, it's no wonder more and more people are suffering form adjustment disorder. This disorder is defined by having any kind of negative reaction ( feeling stressed, anxious, sad etc.) to life events but having a stronger than usual reaction to what occurred. Cognitive behavioral therapy is very effective for this disorder because it can help clients solve problems by changing unproductive thinking habits.

Adolescents have unique experiences. They are in the second period of life when the body and mind changes very rapidly. They may struggle with their own growth and development, school, something from childhood that continues into adolescence, mental health disorders, consequences of risky or illegal behaviors, social groups and norms, body image, sexuality and more. They require someone that listens without judgment and doesn't see them as children, but as the adults they are trying to become.