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CBT stands for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. It's a popular therapy that was created by Aaron Beck in the 1960s (1). In the 1950s, Albert Ellis created Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) that has some similarities and differences from CBT (2). I tend to use a mixture of both with my clients. CBT is the most researched therapy approach (3). In treatment studies, CBT has been beneficial for individuals experiencing depression, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and many other mental health conditions (4). CBT has been helpful for individuals using in-person therapy, online therapy, self-help books, and even in online self-help programs.
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 Research supports the the efficacy of e-therapy for many mental health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world. In March 2020, our daily routines and freedom of movement came to a halt in Ontario and all over the world. In order to continue services for clients, psychologists and other professionals switched to virtual/online practices and telephone services. This was the only way clients could continue their therapy or start therapy. E-therapy is the provision of psychotherapy by using technology such as video platforms, telephone, online self-help, or even text-messages. This was new for many practitioners and clients alike. But e-therapy has been around for years, there is a wide body or research demonstrating its benefits for clients, and it can be used to treat many problems, life difficulties, and mental disorders (Bibliography of Telehealth Research).
 E-Therapy (or virtual therapy or telehealth) is a term that describes the use of technology to provide psychological services from a distance. In other words, e-therapy takes place when a therapist and client are not in physical proximity to each other. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the mass adoption of e-therapy by psychologists. Furthermore, many people are now accustomed to working and communicating daily using video platforms. In fact, some clients prefer the convenience of e-therapy over face-to-face therapy sessions, and many have become comfortable with the technology. This post will focus on video therapy and telephone therapy provided by psychologists.
Stay safe out there. We will get through this together.
This is a very difficult time for many of us. There are few people alive today who have experienced a pandemic, so this is an unprecedented situation. But health care professionals are here and prepared to help. Below is a collection of resources that may help you to cope during this difficult time. If you reside in Ontario, I am available for video-therapy sessions or telephone sessions. If you are a current client, please do not hesitate to contact me, and you are not alone. If you don't have time to read the resources below, I would like to recommend the following:
 Keeping busy with activities that bring value or positive emotions is good for mental health. Behavioural activation (BA) is a therapeutic intervention that involves engaging in pleasurable activities to improve your mood. BA was initially studied as a treatment for depression, and it has been helpful in improving the moods of people who struggle with this condition (see Behavioral activation interventions for well-being: A meta-analysis; Mazzucchelli, Kane, & Rees, 2010).
This post was updated on March 30, 2024.
I have been asked many times to explain the difference between Psychologists, Psychological Associates, Psychiatrists, and Psychotherapists. Hopefully, this blog post will provide a helpful answer! (There are different types of Psychologists, but for this post I will be referring to Clinical Psychologists who provide psychotherapy and psychological assessments in Ontario.) What is a Psychologist? According to the Canadian Psychological Association, "A practicing psychologist is trained to assess and diagnose problems in thinking, feeling and behaviour as well to help people overcome or manage these problems. A psychologist is uniquely trained to use psychological tests to help with assessment and diagnosis. Psychologists help people to overcome or manage their problems using a variety of treatments or psychotherapies". (Canadian Psychological Association. What is a Psychologist? Retrieved from https://cpa.ca/public/whatisapsychologist/.) 
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for unhelpful thinking patterns. These thinking patterns are common to many people and contribute to depression, anxiety, and various mental disorders.
CBT can help you to notice the relationships among: A) An Activating Event or Situation, B) Beliefs and Thoughts, and C) Consequences such as emotions, physical sensations, behaviours, or urges.  Regular use of gratitude journaling can change your perspective. I like to recommend that my clients keep a gratitude journal. A gratitude journal is a Positive Psychology tool that helps individuals to focus more on what is going well in their lives. This is different from many therapeutic techniques that focus on problems (although this is often necessary). Our thoughts and perceptions of ourselves, our lives, other people, and the world can vary along a continuum from everything is wonderful to everything is absolutely horrible. If one is depressed, everything seems horrible, doesn’t it? But if we take a closer look, we can often find positives in our lives that we took for granted because we were seeing everything though a negative ‘mental filter’. A gratitude journal can help bring the positives in our lives back into focus, so that we can see things from a more balanced perspective. When you realize that everything in your life is not horrible, this can really improve your mood!
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Candice Bovell, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Clinical Psychologist Archives
June 2025
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