Cognitive-Constructivist-Coherence
Therapy of Albuquerque
505-270-4398
When you first look at the picture to the right you probably see an artist’s rendition of a sunrise or a sunset. Now look again – try squinting a little. Do you see her? You may even recognize her.
Of course you are familiar with optical illusions. We encounter them all the time. Similarly, and perhaps even more frequently, we encounter cognitive illusions. Albert Einstein once said, “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” The problem is, oftentimes there is no one around to suggest that we “squint” or change our perspective. So we fail to see other ways of interpreting the world. CC Therapy is not about “fixing you”. You are not broken. CC Therapy is about offering you new perspectives. With a new perspective you can decide how you are going to look at things. And if you choose to look at things differently, you open yourself to the option of reacting and interacting differently.
Everyone has long-standing behavior patterns, habitual perceptions, and irrational beliefs - left unexamined some of these are going to undermine your happiness. As a cognitive-constructivist my goal is to help you see things from different perspectives and to respond to life's challenges in new and more rewarding ways. Just as you have taught your body to respond reflexively, your thinking has also become reflexive. When you become aware of your patterned thoughts and emotional reflexes, you can decide what works for you and what works against you.
It may seem like emotions are triggered by events; the truth is emotions are not triggered by events, but rather by our interpretation of events. In other words, thoughts come before feelings. Every emotion is preceded by a thought. Things get better only after we change the way we think about things. But, the way we think cannot be changed by simply “deciding to think differently.” Just as we have behavioral habits, we also have habitual thoughts and thought patterns.
Established ways of thinking and reacting to people and situations is reinforced each time we repeat the pattern. Cognitive therapy is less focused on why we react in ways that don't work (even if they may have worked before), and more focused on discovering and practicing new behaviors and positive thought patterns.
You are not broken, and you are not a problem! Usually, the problem is the problem. Sometimes perception is the problem. Wherever the problem originates, problems have solutions. By applying proven therapy approaches and techniques, you can discover new ways of perceiving and new ways of acting that will add meaning and joy to your life.