Feeling stuck in negative patterns of thinking or behavior can be exhausting. When your thoughts constantly spiral, emotions feel overwhelming, or your reactions don’t align with who you want to be, therapy can help. At Josh Colby Counseling, we offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Grand Rapids—an evidence-based, practical approach that helps you reconnect with yourself and build lasting tools for change.

Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or another mental health condition, CBT provides a path forward grounded in awareness, skill-building, and self-compassion.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, time-limited psychotherapy focused on the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It operates on the core idea that how we interpret situations affects how we feel—and how we act. When our thoughts become distorted or overly negative, they can fuel distress, unhelpful habits, or emotional shutdown.

CBT helps by identifying and challenging those unhelpful thought patterns. Using tools like cognitive restructuring, we explore how to shift internal dialogue and replace it with more balanced, realistic thinking. Techniques such as behavioral activation and exposure therapy help you practice new behaviors and gently face what you've been avoiding.

Feeling stuck in negative patterns of thinking or behavior can be exhausting. When your thoughts constantly spiral, emotions feel overwhelming, or your reactions don’t align with who you want to be, therapy can help. At Josh Colby Counseling, we offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Grand Rapids—an evidence-based, practical approach that helps you reconnect with yourself and build lasting tools for change.

Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or another mental health condition, CBT provides a path forward grounded in awareness, skill-building, and self-compassion.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, time-limited psychotherapy focused on the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It operates on the core idea that how we interpret situations affects how we feel—and how we act. When our thoughts become distorted or overly negative, they can fuel distress, unhelpful habits, or emotional shutdown.

CBT helps by identifying and challenging those unhelpful thought patterns. Using tools like cognitive restructuring, we explore how to shift internal dialogue and replace it with more balanced, realistic thinking. Techniques such as behavioral activation and exposure therapy help you practice new behaviors and gently face what you've been avoiding.

It’s a collaborative, skills-based approach that promotes emotional regulation, builds resilience, and equips you with coping tools you can take into your everyday life.

What Can CBT Help With?

CBT is one of the most well-researched and evidence-based treatments available—and it’s widely used across a range of mental health conditions. Clients often benefit from CBT when navigating:

●       Anxiety and panic disorders

●       Depression or persistent low mood

●       Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

●       Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

●       Eating disorders and body image struggles

●       Substance use disorders

●       Chronic stress, burnout, or perfectionism

●       Emotional reactivity or difficulty with emotional regulation

●       Managing symptoms of a medical condition

Whether you’re dealing with one concern or multiple, CBT can help create clarity and movement toward the life you want to live.

How CBT Works in Sessions

In CBT sessions, we work together to:

●       Identify recurring or negative thoughts that are keeping you stuck

●       Understand how those thoughts influence your mood and choices

●       Learn how to shift those patterns into more helpful and flexible thinking

●       Practice coping skills you can use outside of therapy to manage difficult emotions

We also explore behaviors—what you avoid, what reinforces distress—and experiment with small, manageable changes to build confidence and forward momentum. You'll be encouraged to notice progress, reflect on challenges, and integrate what you're learning in real time.

This is not passive talk therapy. CBT is active, empowering, and focused on what matters most to you.

Is CBT Right for Me?

Many people are suggested CBT because it’s a widely supported, accessible, and structured form of therapy. But no two people experience it the same way.

You might appreciate CBT if you:

●       Feel trapped in thought spirals or anxious thinking

●       Struggle to manage emotional reactions

●       Want practical tools—not just insight

●       Prefer a goal-oriented approach

●       Are looking for short-term therapy with lasting impact

●       Need help managing a long-term condition or pattern

We adapt CBT to meet your needs—sometimes combining it with elements of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) or trauma-informed practices for deeper emotional work.

Why Work with Josh Colby for CBT?

At Josh Colby Counseling, we understand that effective therapy goes beyond techniques—it’s about relationship and trust. CBT here is collaborative, not prescriptive. We work at your pace, tailoring each session to what’s most helpful for you.

With years of experience supporting adults and teens across a range of mental health challenges, we integrate the structure of CBT with the flexibility and warmth that real healing requires. Whether you’re focused on immediate relief or long-term change, CBT with Josh is grounded in both clarity and compassion.

What Results Can I Expect?

CBT is often short-term, with many clients experiencing noticeable improvement within a few months. Others may benefit from longer-term support depending on the depth or complexity of their concerns.

Many people report:

●       Greater awareness of their thoughts and feelings

●       Improved ability to regulate emotion

●       Stronger relationships

●       Less reactivity and more calm

●       A renewed sense of agency and confidence

Best of all, CBT offers tools that stay with you—giving you a framework for navigating life’s challenges long after therapy ends.

Start CBT Therapy in Grand Rapids

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or discouraged, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Grand Rapids could help you find your footing again. At Josh Colby Counseling, we offer in-person sessions locally and telehealth therapy throughout Michigan.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. You just need to be willing to start.

Schedule a free consultation to see if CBT is the right fit for you.