Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Vancouver

Practical, evidence-based therapy to help you manage anxiety, depression, stress, and unhelpful thought patterns with greater clarity and confidence.

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Counselling Methods
Humanistic Therapy Somatic Therapy Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Trauma-Informed Care

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can help if you’re feeling:

  • Trapped in cycles of anxious or negative thinking

  • Overwhelmed by worry, stress, or overthinking

  • Highly self-critical or hard on yourself

  • Stuck in patterns you want to change but can’t seem to break

  • Emotionally impacted by persistent fears or “worst-case scenario” thinking

  • Discouraged by low mood, hopelessness, or lack of motivation

  • Frustrated by behaviours or reactions that feel automatic

  • Ready for practical tools to help shift thoughts and habits

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and effective counselling methods for anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health conditions. At Viva Counselling in Vancouver, cognitive behavioural therapy is a structured yet supportive therapy process that helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Instead of getting stuck in negative patterns or unhelpful thoughts, CBT guides you to develop practical skills and new tools you can use in your daily life. At Viva Counselling we strive to create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment where we’ll work collaboratively to identify distorted thinking patterns and reframe them in ways that improve your overall well-being.

Whether you join us for in-person counselling at our Vancouver office or virtual sessions across British Columbia, cognitive behavioural therapy can help you move forward with greater confidence, clarity, and balance.

Areas of Focus for CBT include Fertility Challenges, Prenatal Support, Eating Disorders, Youth & Teen Counselling & Anxiety.

Benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy is designed to support people facing a wide variety of mental health issues. CBT can be an especially helpful therapy if you are experiencing:

  • Anxiety disorders or social anxiety

  • Depression or persistent feelings of being stuck

  • Post traumatic stress disorder or trauma-related challenges

  • Obsessive compulsive disorder

  • Stress, chronic pain, or chronic illness

  • Relationship challenges or difficult life transitions

CBT is also a good fit if you’re seeking therapy to build new skills, strengthen resilience, and create positive changes in your daily life. At Viva Counselling we work collaboratively with you in a supportive and safe space to set treatment goals that match your needs.

Whether you prefer in person counselling in Vancouver or online therapy sessions, CBT offers an effective treatment path that empowers you with the tools and confidence to manage life’s challenges.

How Can Viva Counselling Help?

Viva Counselling can help you better understand the patterns that may be keeping you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally exhausted. Often, when we’re struggling, our thoughts can become harsh, fearful, or self-critical without us even realizing it. These patterns can affect how we feel about ourselves, how we cope with stress, and how we respond in relationships and everyday life. In counselling sessions we use CBT to help bring awareness to these cycles so that you can begin responding to yourself and your experiences in a more supportive and balanced way.

Whether in our Vancouver office or online, we work to identify unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours while building practical tools to help you manage difficult emotions, navigate stress, improve communication, and feel more grounded in your daily life. Many clients find CBT an empowering therapy because it offers concrete strategies you can use outside of sessions, helping you feel more confident, resilient, and capable of creating meaningful change over time.

See if CBT is right for you

YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THERAPY, ANSWERED

Frequently Asked Questions about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

  • Cognitive behavioural therapy works by helping clients understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and physical responses. At Viva Counselling we help our clients identify patterns that may be contributing to distress and develop practical tools and coping strategies to support more balanced thinking, emotional regulation, and behavioural change.

    For example, someone with anxiety may notice thoughts such as “something bad is going to happen” or “I’m going to embarrass myself,” which can lead to physical symptoms like tension or a racing heart and behaviours such as avoidance or overpreparing. CBT helps clients recognize these patterns, explore whether their thoughts are accurate or helpful, and practice new ways of responding.

    CBT may include learning coping skills, challenging unhelpful thought patterns, practicing behavioural changes, and building strategies to manage stress, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, panic, or self-criticism in everyday life. Therapy sessions are collaborative, structured, and tailored to each client’s goals and experiences.

  • Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts that contribute to emotional distress and unhelpful behaviours. Dialectical behaviour therapy’s primary focus is on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and relationships. While CBT often focuses on changing patterns of thinking, DBT emphasizes learning how to cope with intense emotions and navigate difficult situations more effectively. Both are effective therapies and often used in conjunction with one another depending on the client’s goals for therapy.

  • Cognitive behavioural therapy can help with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, stress, panic attacks, perfectionism, fertility challenges, OCD, low self-esteem, eating disorders, insomnia, and emotional overwhelm. CBT focuses on helping clients recognize patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be contributing to distress and develop practical coping strategies and skills for everyday life.

  • Yes, cognitive behavioural therapy can be very helpful for intrusive thoughts and overthinking. CBT helps clients recognize patterns such as rumination, catastrophizing, or self-criticism and develop healthier ways of responding. Rather than trying to “get rid of” thoughts completely, CBT focuses on reducing the distress and anxiety they create and building more balanced, flexible thinking patterns.

  • No. You do not need a formal diagnosis to start cognitive behavioural therapy. Many people seek CBT for stress, anxiety, burnout, relationship challenges, overthinking, self-esteem, or personal growth. Cognitive behavioural therapy can be helpful whether or not you have a diagnosed mental health condition.

  • Cognitive distortions are unhelpful patterns of thinking that can increase stress, anxiety, depression, or self-criticism. Common examples include catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind reading, and overgeneralizing. In CBT, clients learn to recognize these patterns and develop more balanced, realistic, and supportive ways of responding to difficult thoughts and situations. If any of these cognitive distortions resonate with you, feel free to book a free consultation to explore how CBT can be helpful for you!

  • At Viva Counselling many clients begin noticing small changes within the first five sessions of CBT, particularly as they learn practical coping tools and become more aware of unhelpful patterns. The pace of progress varies depending on each person’s goals, experiences, and circumstances, but rest assured that CBT is designed to support gradual, sustainable change over time.

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  • "Working with Jaclyn has truly been life-changing. From the very first session, I felt deeply seen, supported, and understood in a way I hadn’t experienced before in therapy. Her compassionate and gentle approach helped me reconnect with myself and feel more grounded and hopeful again."

    Dana S., Viva Counselling client

  • “Jaclyn has an incredible ability to make you feel safe, heard, and cared for. I came to therapy feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, and disconnected from myself after years of fertility struggles and pregnancy loss. Through our work together, I gained coping tools, self-compassion, and a deeper understanding of my emotions and nervous system. I always leave sessions feeling lighter, more regulated, and supported. I cannot recommend her enough.”

    Isabelle F., Viva Counselling client

  • “I was hesitant to start therapy again after not finding talk therapy helpful in the past, but working with Jaclyn completely changed my experience. Her somatic and relational approach helped me process emotions in a way that felt gentle, empowering, and actually effective. She brings such warmth, authenticity, and knowledge into her work, and I always feel like she genuinely cares."

    Michelle T., Viva Counselling client