CBT Therapy in California
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that helps people identify and change negative or destructive thought patterns to improve emotions and behaviors. At Southern California Sunrise, we offer CBT therapy in California for those who struggle with distressing or destructive thoughts, difficult emotions, or unhelpful behaviors that interfere with their daily life.
What Is CBT therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy where a person works one-on-one with a therapist to recognize destructive or negative thought patterns and learn to redirect them toward more positive, realistic beliefs in order to improve mental health and daily functioning.
CBT was first invented by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, with the goal of helping people identify and change distorted, negative thinking patterns in order to relieve emotional distress and improve behavior.
CBT has become particularly popular lately due to its proven effectiveness as an evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, and other disorders, alongside rising mental health awareness, telehealth expansion post-COVID, and strong market growth from government initiatives and digital platforms.
Benefits of CBT
Why should you consider CTB? Cognitive behavioral therapy boasts a range of benefits for help-seekers like yourself, including that it:
Identifies and changes negative thought patterns to improve emotional well-being.
Builds coping skills and problem-solving abilities for managing anxiety, depression, and stress.
Promotes independence by teaching self-help techniques that last beyond therapy.
Enhances self-esteem and emotional regulation for better daily functioning.
Improves relationships through stronger communication and conflict resolution skills.
Provides long-term strategies to prevent symptom relapse.
What Does CBT Treat?
CBT is most commonly used for conditions such as anxiety, depression, but it can be adapted into the holistic treatment plan for a variety of conditions.
Anxiety
CBT helps anxiety by identifying and challenging irrational, fear-based thoughts, then replacing them with realistic perspectives and practical coping strategies to reduce symptoms and build resilience.
Depression
CBT helps depression by helping individuals recognize and reframe negative thought patterns and beliefs, replacing them with more balanced, realistic perspectives to alleviate emotional distress.
Other disorder that CBT can treat include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Eating disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Substance use disorders
- Various phobias
CBT isn’t a cure for these conditions. It’s a mode of treatment that allows patients the space to work on healing. It gives them the coping mechanisms that they’ll need to go about their day-to-day lives.
What Can I expect From CBT Therapy?
In CBT sessions, expect regular one-on-one meetings with a therapist, typically lasting 12-20 weeks, where you identify negative thought patterns, learn practical coping skills through homework exercises, and practice behavioral changes in a structured, goal-oriented process.
Session Structure
Sessions begin with relationship-building and assessment of your concerns, followed by collaborative goal-setting and teaching core techniques like thought challenging and exposure exercises.
Key Activities
You will track thoughts and emotions between sessions, experiment with new behaviors, and receive feedback to build self-management skills for long-term application.
Typical Timeline
Early sessions focus on education and skill-building, mid-sessions apply techniques to real-life issues, and later ones emphasize relapse prevention and independence.
How is Progress Measured in CBT?
Progress in CBT is measured through self-report symptom scales completed at each session, tracking reductions in anxiety or depression scores over time, alongside homework logs of thought patterns and behaviors, functional improvements in daily life, and periodic standardized assessments like the PHQ-9 or GAD-7 to evaluate goal achievement and adjust treatment.
- Key Methods: Therapists review weekly changes in symptom ratings and client-reported mood logs to spot trends and guide discussions.
- Outcome Tools: Standardized questionnaires such as the Beck Depression Inventory or Outcome Questionnaire track broader well-being and readiness for ending therapy.
- Patient Role: You log thoughts, emotions, and behavioral experiments between sessions, providing concrete data on skill mastery and relapse risk.
CBT Therapy Treatment Outcome Stats
Does CBT actually work? Yes! CBT is an evidence-based treatment widely used and trusted across the United States and abroad. Here’s what we know, based on studies and research:
- CBT outperforms control conditions for anxiety disorders, with sustained effects up to 12 months post-treatment (meta-analysis of 69 RCTs).
- Response rates for CBT range from 38% (OCD) to 82% (body dysmorphic disorder), compared to 2-14% for waitlist controls.
- Across conditions, CBT shows modest HRQoL improvement (SMD 0.23), with stronger effects vs. non-active controls (SMD 0.31).
- Pooled effect size post-treatment for psychiatric disorders is Hedge’s g = -0.49, indicating significant symptom reduction.
- Long-term effects remain for GAD, SAD (small-medium), and PTSD (large), with relapse rates 0-14% after 3-12 months.
Meet Our Clinical Team
At Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center, our licensed therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists deliver expert CBT and evidence-based care in a compassionate, residential setting. Meet the team:
Dr. Sanjai Thankachen, Psychiatrist: Experienced in adult outpatient and inpatient care at Ventura County Medical Centers and Pacific Neuropsychiatric Specialists. Treats depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, and dementia.
Our Joint Commission-accredited clinicians ensure every patient receives the highest standard of care.
Our Approach to CBT
At Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center, we integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a core evidence-based component within our comprehensive holistic wellness approach.
CBT fits seamlessly into our philosophy of treating mind, body, and spirit by pairing its structured techniques for identifying and reframing negative thought patterns with our holistic practices like yoga, nutrition counseling, and equine therapy.
Our patients receive CBT through individual therapy sessions and structured exercises within our residential setting at our Mission Viejo facilities, customized alongside self-care practices. By embedding CBT within our holistic care, our patients develop practical coping skills while cultivating self-awareness and emotional regulation for sustainable recovery.
Get CBT Therapy in California
Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center delivers expert Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a core evidence-based program within its premier residential mental health treatment in Orange County, CA, helping patients master negative thought patterns and build lasting coping skills.
Ready to experience the life-changing benefits of CBT at Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center? Contact our Mission Viejo team today to verify your insurance with providers like Aetna, Cigna, Optum, and more. You can also schedule a psychological evaluation and start your personalized treatment journey toward lasting mental health stability.
Resources
Cuijpers, P., Berking, M., Andersson, G., Quigley, L., Kleiboer, A., & Dobson, K. S. (2013). A meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioural therapy for adult depression, alone and in comparison with other treatments. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 58(7), 376–385. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371305800702
Leichsenring, F., Steinert, C., Rabung, S., & Hoyer, J. (2025). Cognitive behavior therapy for mental disorders in adults. JAMA Psychiatry. Advance online publication.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2832696
Luo, C., Zhang, J., et al. (2022). Neural effects of cognitive behavioral therapy in psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 853804. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.853804
Ong, C. W., et al. (2021). The evidence for cognitive behavioural therapy in any condition, population or context: A meta-review of systematic reviews and panoramic meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720004385
Springer, K. S., Levy, H. C., & Tolin, D. F. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3584580/
van Dis, E. A. M., van den Hengel, M., et al. (2020). Long-term outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety-related disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(3), 265–273. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3986