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Month: November 2019

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction 

By Britt Gottlich, Psy.D. I often meet with people who say they are unsure of whether they have experienced trauma or not. So, what is trauma? Most people define trauma based on how trauma is portrayed in the media. But, in reality, it is a very subjective experience. Something that may be traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” The way I like to understand trauma is based on an individual’s interpretation of the event. As children, we live under the assumption that “good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.”

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Man holds clipboard and pen, seated facing a woman, partially in view, hands clasped at knees, facial tissue and wooden holder between them

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for Addiction and Alcoholism

By Tracey Basset, PsyD Making the decision to seek help for a substance use problem is challenging enough. On top of that, for a lot of people, they face the challenge of choosing where to go, who to see, and what type of therapy will benefit them most. This can be a very confusing and daunting process. My aim for this post is to provide some useful information about the benefits of one type of therapy, my favorite type of addiction therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). What is Cognitive Behavior Therapy? CBT is based on the notion that the way we think influences how we feel and, subsequently, how we behave. Think of it like a domino effect—something happens, you form a

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