Frequently Asked Questions

How many sessions will it take to get better?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for most problems/issues involves 8-20 sessions of individual, couple or group psychotherapy.

How will I know if CBT is for me?

In our experience, most people know whether or not they are comfortable with their therapist and whether or not CBT is an approach that is likely to be helpful to them within 2-4 sessions. It usually takes people longer than 2-4 sessions to experience any significant change in their symptoms or distress. However, after 2-4 sessions people usually know whether or not CBT is for them. We encourage everyone to discuss their progress with their therapist after 4-6 weeks of treatment.

Why do I have this problem?

CBT is problem-focused and focused on the “here and now” rather than the past. You and your therapist may spend some time discussing your past in order to better understand your current problems. However, the focus of therapy is on overcoming your current difficulties.

The problem with focusing on the past and spending a lot of time trying to figure out why you are depressed or anxious is that these kinds of questions are usually impossible to answer. We only know a little about the causes of depression and anxiety. Every person’s circumstances and experience is extremely complex> as a result, we cannot possibly ever be sure of why you are experiencing the problems you are experiencing. Moreover, it has been fairly convincingly demonstrated that simply having an understanding of why you have problems will not help. In order to overcome their problems, people have to move from understanding (insight) to action, by challenging and changing their thoughts, assumptions, beliefs and behaviours.

Fortunately, although we know very little about the causes of anxiety and depression, we did know what works to help people get better and stay well. Thus, the focus of work in CBT is on solving problems in the present and looking forward, rather than looking back.

What about medication?

For most of mood and anxiety problems, CBT is at least as effective as medication. In addition, in the long term CBT is often more effective than medication in maintaining wellness and preventing relapse. However, many people benefit from a combination of medication and CBT. Often medication is used to provide some relief from symptoms and CBT is used to provide long-term strategies for getting well and staying well.

Advantages of medications include the fact that they can provide significant symptom relief without a lot of effort. Disadvantages of medications include side effects and the significant risk of a return of symptoms (relapse) when you stop taking the medication. Advantages of CBT include the fact that CBT appears to be more effective than medication in maintaining wellness and preventing relapse. Disadvantages of CBT include the significant time and effort required to attend the sessions and do the homework, as well as the cost.

How do I book an appointment?

If you wish to be arrange a consultation at CBT Associates please call 416-363-4228 or contact Dr. Denisoff or Dr. Farvolden by email.

You can reach Dr. Denisoff at eilennad@bellnet.ca. You can reach Dr. Farvolden at peter.farvolden@bellnet.ca.

An intake appointment will be scheduled that will include a comprehensive interview to determine your need for psychological treatment, and the type of treatment that would be best suited for you.