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AuthorAbout Amy Wenzel
I am continuously struck by how often my clients who present for psychotherapy with depression, anxiety, and/or substance abuse boil their problems down to one issue -- lack of fulfillment. They are stuck. They have trouble identifying their passions and dreams. They remain in relationships that work against them, rather than work for them. They're living their lives according to a status quo that, if they are honest with themselves, is not as comfortable or comforting as they would like it to be.
Part of what keeps people stuck is how they think about themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. And then, they make decisions on the basis of those patterns of thinking, thus perpetuating the cycle of unfulfillment. I practice a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is an approach that gives people a coherent framework for understanding their thinking and behavioral patterns and tools for making positive changes in their lives. I have seen the lives of countless people transformed by making adjustments based on the knowledge and skills they gain in CBT.
My experience with CBT has been rich and varied. Over the past ten years, I have collaborated with the "father" of CBT, Dr. Aaron T. Beck, to refine and individualize CBT for a vast array of problems that bring people into psychotherapy. I've written numerous books and treatment manuals for therapists to read as they learn to use CBT in their own practices, Strategic Decision Making in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Therapy for Suicidal Patients, and Group Cognitive Therapy for Addictions.
Most importantly, I'm a strong believer in targeting fulfillment and personal growth, and I have adapted CBT in my practice to achieve these aims. Thus, every day in my clinical practice, I work with people who are struggling with depression, anxiety, and/or substance abuse to not only overcome their problems, but to also help them to live a valued life.
In addition, I have developed a specialty area in perinatal psychology, where I apply this CBT approach to women who are pregnant, moms and dads who have recently undergone the transition to parenthood, and people who are struggling with the effects of pregnancy loss and infertility. I find that time surrounding childbirth is one that is ripe for the examination of values, meaning, and fulfillment, and when the course of events goes differently than one expects, it can be excrutiatingly painful. The CBT approach has helped men and women not only survive these difficult times, but flourish.
Regardless of whether you are coping with perinatal issues, specifically, or wish, more generally, to achieve fulfillment, wisdom, and personal growth in your life, I invite you to contact me and learn what CBT has to offer you.
