Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Charlotte, NC
In my practice, I specialize in the treatment of eating disorders, depression, anxiety and OCD using leading evidence-based treatments. I'm passionate about providing effective treatment that works. To do that, my approach is driven by using the best available scientific evidence and personalizing care to the individual strengths, challenges, and goals of each of my clients. The treatments I specialize in are primarily cognitive behavioral approaches designed to be short-term therapies that provide people with relief quickly. They also tend to be very action-oriented and goal-driven.
If that sounds like what you're looking for, awesome -- my practice might be a good fit for you! But, like any other provider, I won't always be a good fit for everyone. If you're interested in long-term talk therapy, prefer a therapy approach that doesn't have a strong scientific backing, need help with mental health issues related to concerns that I don't specialize in (e.g., trauma, substance abuse, autism, ADHD), or are looking for marriage counseling or couples therapy, a different provider will likely be a better option for you.
Three of the Best Charlotte CBT Therapists
Jessica Ribeiro, PhD
Dr. Jessica Ribeiro is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders as well as depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder. She has over 15 years of clinical, research, and teaching experience. She has been named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science, Best Early Career Researcher by the American Association of Suicidology, and a Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science. She has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals, with her research being cited over 13,000 times and covered in the popular press, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NBC, and BBC, among others. She is considered an expert in leading evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatments.
Credentials: PhD
Licensed in North Carolina (6285), Florida (PY10986), and New Jersey (35I00708400) and certified to provide telehealth across all PSYPACT accredited states
Education:
BA, University of Pennsylvania
PhD, Florida State University
Predoctoral Residency: Warren J. Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Postdoctoral Fellowships: Harvard University; Vanderbilt University
Specialty areas: eating disorders, depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder
Years in practice: 15+ years
2. Andrea Umbach, PsyD, ABPP
Dr. Andrea Umbach is a licensed clinical psychologist who is board certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology. She specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, OCD, and related conditions, such as body-focused repetitive behaviors and hoarding disorder, using leading cognitive behavioral therapy approaches, with particular expertise in exposure and response prevention. She has trained with several experts in anxiety disorders and has also authored a book focused on using CBT to treat phobias among teens.
Credentials: PsyD, ABPP
Licensed in North Carolina (4522), South Carolina, and certified to provide telehealth across all PSYPACT accredited states
Education:
BA, University of Michigan
PsyD, American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University
Predoctoral Internship: Southeast Psych
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Southeast Psych
Specialty areas: obsessive compulsive disorder, hoarding disorder, body-focused repetitive behaviors, anxiety disorders
Years in practice: 15+ years
3. Anna Lock, PsyD
Dr. Anna Lock is a cognitive behavioral therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, and psychological factors associated with physical health conditions. She has sought training from several notable experts in the field of anxiety and OCD and has received additional certifications in the implementation of cognitive behavioral therapy from the Academy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She offers in-person therapy near Carrboro, NC and is available to provide telehealth services virtually to Charlotte residents.
Credentials: PsyD
Licensed in North Carolina (5242)
Education:
BA, Wake Forest University
PsyD, Pepperdine University
Predoctoral Internship: University of Southern California Student Counseling Services
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Loyola Marymount University Student Psychological Services
Specialty areas: anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, insomnia, and psychological factors related to physical health conditions
Years in practice: 15+ years
Why choose Ribeiro Psychology for CBT therapy in Charlotte, NC
Finding a therapist can be really challenging. In Charlotte, for instance, there are over 2,000 practicing therapists alone. That's a lot to sift through! Even if you were to try, many therapists use similar language to describe their practice, making it really hard to differentiate between them. If you're on this page and considering working with someone who is a CBT specialist (i.e., a provider who not only says they practice CBT but has the training and experience to back it up), the list narrows a bit -- yet, still, it can still be hard to know what sets these specialists apart. So, if you're looking for a CBT specialist, here are a few things to know about me and my practice:
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Once I decided to pursue clinical psychology as a career, I consistently sought out opportunities to get the most rigorous training possible. This started as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where I worked as a research assistant for Dr. Aaron Beck, who first developed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I earned my PhD from in the Department of Psychology at Florida State, which was recognized by the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies as one of the nation's best Clinical Psychology training programs. After completing my predoctoral residency at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, I pursued postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard and Vanderbilt. Shortly after, I was hired as a professor in the Department of Psychology at Florida State where I trained hundreds of students in evidence-based treatments as professor of our psychotherapy interventions class and as a supervisor in the training clinic. Across these experiences, I have developed extensive experience in leading evidence-based treatments and have worked at all levels of care.
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As much as I enjoy working with my clients, my main goal is to get them out of my office as quickly as possible. Because, when that happens, it usually means they have learned the skills and techniques that allow them to be fully present in their lives. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see my clients experience that again. Not all therapists have this view on therapy -- some view it as more long-term and exploratory; others may share the view that therapy is short-term but lack the training necessary to be able to deliver these treatments efficiently. But, for me, I know that our best treatments can work really well and quickly, when implemented thoughtfully. So, my goal as a therapist is to make treatment as efficient and effective as possible. Essentially, I want you to get back to living your life fully (and outside of a therapy office) as quickly as possible because you deserve that.
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One thing to know about me is that I love data. PhD's are trained as scientists after all and, for me, I've spent years in the research world as a professor as well. So, it's probably not that surprising to anyone who knows me that, as a therapist, I regularly collect data in my practice on patient outcomes. Every few months, I analyze the data I have across patients and publish a summary of what I find on my website (with all the data being deidentified, of course). I do this because I know that therapy comes with costs. People are making an investment in their time, effort, and money. Because of this, I strongly believe that people deserve to know what treatment will look like with a given provider and what kinds of outcomes are typical. I also want to make sure, for myself, that my approach is working for my clients. I'm glad that, so far, the outcomes I see in my practice are what I would want to see, with most people successfully completing treatment and experiencing significant reductions in their symptoms and improvements in their quality of life. If you're interested in learning more about the specific outcomes for my practice, you can find that information here.
FAQs about CBT therapy
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Cognitive behavioral therapy is a specialized type of psychotherapy that is present-focused, structured, short-term, and goal-oriented. It is among the most studied forms of mental health treatment, with thousands of studies finding CBT to be effective for a wide range of mental health and physical health problems, including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, and substance use disorders, among many others.
CBT was designed based on the idea that how people feel depends more on their perception or interpretation of a situation rather than the situation itself. Especially when distressed, a person's perception of a situation may be distorted. CBT is designed to help clients first become aware of their distorted or unhelpful thoughts and behavior patterns in a given situation. They then learn to modify these thoughts and behaviors. People start feeling better once their thought patterns and behaviors change to be more realistic and/or more useful to them.
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Cognitive behavioral therapists are therapists who have received specialized training in cognitive behavioral therapy. A well-trained CBT therapist is able to expertly tailor CBT to your needs and goals so that your treatment plan is personalized to you. They do this by creating something called a "case conceptualization" at the start of treatment. The case conceptualization outlines the hypothesized mechanisms that cause and maintain the current symptoms or problems you're experiencing. Essentially, the conceptualization will work as an individualized roadmap for treatment. At the start of treatment, a CBT therapist will also make sure to understand your values and aspirations and help you set specific treatment goals. Before proceeding with treatment, a CBT therapist will explain their suggested treatment plan for getting you to your desired outcomes at the end of therapy and make sure you're both on the same page about how to best proceed.
During the course of therapy, CBT therapists will help you make progress toward those goals and improve the quality of your life by teaching you different skills and techniques to apply outside of therapy. The specific interventions or techniques that a therapist may use in treatment will of course depend on what someone may be struggling with; however, some of the most common techniques that CBT therapists use include (but are not limited to):
• Identifying automatic negative thoughts or negative thought patterns
• Evaluating thoughts based on their validity and/or utility using cognitive restructuring and/or behavioral experiments
• Scheduling activities that are pleasurable and/or result in a sense of mastery or achievement
• Graduated goal setting, which involves identifying goals and breaking them down in to more easily achievable steps
• Problem solving
• Improved self-awareness, especially of thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors
• Effective decision making
• Effective communication or assertiveness skills, using techniques such as role play of difficult interpersonal situations
• Coping skills to better tolerate distressing emotions
• Coping strategies to better manage difficult situations
• Tools for relaxation
• Mindfulness techniques
The goal of a CBT therapist is to eventually make themselves obsolete; that is, their goal is to teach you the skills and techniques you'll need to eventually become your own therapist. CBT focuses on teaching you these techniques and making sure you apply them in your real life outside the therapy sessions. To facilitate this, at the end of each session, you and your therapist will work together to set an "action plan", which outlines tasks to work on before your next session.
In addition to what happens within sessions, across sessions, a CBT therapist will also be measuring your progress. This often includes completing questionnaires that measure your symptoms, functioning, or other related issues and/or asking you to report on these things in session. Measuring progress objectively in these ways is helpful to make sure therapy is progressing in the right direction.
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Although cognitive behavioral therapy was initially designed to address depression, it has since been adapted and shown to be effective for a wide range conditions. This includes several mental health conditions, namely:
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders, including social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety
• Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, other specified feeding and/or eating disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related conditions, including body dysmorphic disorder and hoarding disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Personality disorders, and
• Schizophrenia and psychosis
It has also been shown to be effective for a range of medical conditions, including:
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Chronic pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Sexual dysfunction
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Migraines
Lastly, the effectiveness of CBT has also been demonstrated in the context of treating other issues that impair a person's quality of life or compromise their well being, such as:
• Sleep problems, especially insomnia
• Relationship problems
• Problematic anger
• Women's issues
• Stress
Note: this is not an exhaustive list. The research on CBT continues to expand, with mounting evidence continuing to support it's use for the issues noted above as well as other issues not explicitly included here. If you're interested in CBT, don't hesitate to reach out to a licensed therapist who specializes in CBT to discuss whether it may be a good option in your case.
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Although CBT is among the most effective and well-researched psychotherapies we have currently at our disposal, some aspects of CBT won't appeal to everyone. Here are a few things to consider if you're deciding whether CBT makes sense for you:
• CBT is a structured and goal-oriented approach. CBT is designed to be a time-limited therapy. That doesn't mean the therapy is rushed but instead focused on helping people experience relief and improvements in their lives as effectively and efficiently as possible. The goal-oriented and structured nature of CBT helps ensure significant and meaningful progress occurs quickly and consistently. Some individuals may view therapy as a long-term pursuit that is less designed to address problems or produce change and instead more exploratory -- if this is the case for you, then CBT would not be a good fit.
• Homework is a mainstay of the treatment. One thing that I always tell my any prospective client is that I am not magic. (To be frank, in my opinion, no therapist is magic.) Talking to me (or any other therapist) for 50 minutes a week may make you feel a bit better in the moment sometimes, but it won't be enough to get you to your treatment goals. (I wish it were! But, if they did teach us how to do that in graduate school, I must have been absent that day.) The real work happens outside of session. So, in CBT, homework outside of session where you work on applying what we discuss in session is critical. This can involve things like self-monitoring (e.g., tracking your thoughts, behaviors, emotions), applying new skills, or engaging in different behaviors than you're used to and monitoring the effects. Homework should never be 'busy work' -- it has a clear purpose and it will be something that you and your therapist decide on makes sense together. Nevertheless, it can be time-consuming at times. Changing patterns that are causing you distress isn't always easy -- so homework can also be a bit challenging at times. Afterall, challenge is necessary for change. The goal isn't to have the tasks be so challenging that they overwhelm you. A well-trained CBT therapist will often try to find a sweet spot of challenging enough to result in progress but not so challenging that it's too overwhelming to complete. If completing tasks outside of session like this is a deal breaker for you, then CBT may not be the best fit.
• Therapist training and expertise matter. Unfortunately, not all therapists who say they implement CBT are well-trained in the treatment. Someone's level of training and expertise in the approach matters a lot because it's not always an easy intervention to implement well. Some clinicians may implement aspects of CBT, but because they have not received adequate training, often are unable to implement the treatment fully as intended. This usually compromises how well the treatment works, leaving many people feeling discouraged. The effectiveness of CBT treatment relies heavily on your therapist's training in evidence-based treatment, especially CBT, as well as their experience with your particular concerns or difficulties. Before you schedule an intake appointment, ask if the therapist offers free consultation calls (many do). During that time, I'd encourage you to ask questions about their training, specifically in CBT. You can use the information I described above about what a CBT therapist does to get a better sense about their knowledge of the intervention -- for instance, what's their perspective on homework in therapy? do they monitor progress and, if so, could they share information about their typical outcomes?
Get the evidence-based support you need to thrive.
Whether you're experiencing depression, anxiety, eating and body image concerns or any other mental health condition, know that there are treatments available that work. You deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing you're receiving high-quality treatment that's backed by our best-available research. In my practice, my goal is to help you get back to living your life fully as quickly as possible. If you're interested in learning more about whether my practice may be a good fit for you, reach out to schedule a free initial consultation to see whether we'd be a good fit.
