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Concepts and Clichés
Welcome to Concepts and Clichés, a blog dedicated to exploring the real-world application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in everyday life. This space offers practical insights, expert advice, and thought-provoking reflections tailored for both prospective and current clients and anyone else who is interested in building a deeper understanding of common concepts. Here, you’ll find accessible explanations of CBT principles, common misconceptions (“clichés”), and how these concepts can be used to navigate life’s challenges.
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When Feeling and Knowing Disagree: Bridging the Gap between Head and Heart.
There is a specific moment in therapy, usually around the third or fourth session, that every clinician recognizes. It is the moment the impasse is declared. The client, who is intelligent, self-aware, and perhaps a bit exhausted, leans back in the chair. They have filled out the worksheets. They have identified the cognitive distortions. They have looked at the evidence. And then, with a mixture of frustration and defeat, they say the sentence that defines the dilemma: "I kn
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
11 min read
Breaking the Therapy Echo Chamber: Why Validation is not Enough.
When we enter therapy, we often arrive carrying the heavy burden of being misunderstood. We feel unheard by our partners, undervalued by our bosses, or invalidated by our families. Consequently, there is a natural, human yearning for a space that feels completely safe—a sanctuary where our version of reality is accepted without question. We want to be told that we are right, that our feelings are justified, and that the world has treated us unfairly. There is a distinct relie
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
11 min read
Emotional Wisdom: Navigating Life with Feeling and Pragmatic Action
This post is a companion piece to " Chronic Stress: How Mental Patterns Shape Our Struggles. " The other post emphasized the primacy of rational action in the face of crisis. When a child is drowning, we do not examine our emotions but jump into the lake to save them. Our survival, our livelihoods, our very commitments sometimes demand immediate, decisive action, regardless of the emotional maelstrom within. However, the emphasis of effective action is not a dismissal of emot
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
10 min read
Chronic Stress: How Mental Patterns Shape Our Struggles.
Life is a continuous negotiation, often presenting demands that stretch our capacities to their absolute limits. When these pressures mount, and the prospect of falling short feels like an existential threat. Our brains, usually marvels of processing, can descend into a cognitive fog: concentration falters, memory malfunctions, and even minor decisions feel insurmountable. Our bodies bear the brunt: chronic fatigue, muscles locked in tension, digestive turmoil, and a comprom
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
8 min read
WHY IS PANIC SO DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH?
To say that panic attacks feel awful is an understatement. Panic attacks are awful AND confusing. A panic attack is full blown alarm...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
5 min read
A FEW WORDS ON WORRY...
Chances are that you have tried to stop worrying but the whole endeavor turned out to be far more difficult and frustrating than...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
9 min read
AS CONCEPTS GO, POSITIVE THINKING IS RATHER UNHELPFUL
It is true: I don’t like the push towards positive thinking. I think that CBT is about realistic evaluation of what is happening in our lives and about learning how to manage our inner experiences in a way that makes sense AND feels real. It’s about cultivating a stance of open curiosity towards our world and fostering the willingness to tinker. Our growth is a process of tinkering. The trial and error. The ongoing negotiation between what we want, what is possible, wha
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
3 min read
WHAT IS EXPOSURE? IN SIMPLE TERMS. AND WITH EXAMPLES…
Exposure is a CBT technique used to treat anxiety disorders that requires us to face triggers that cause anxiety, but are not dangerous. ...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
7 min read
OF TRIGGERS, DANGERS AND THINGS OF IMPORTANCE
Google dictionary defines trigger as “an event or circumstance that is the cause of a particular action, process, or situation”. Danger...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
3 min read
THINKING SHORTCUTS ARE UNDERSTANDABLE. THEY JUST DON'T ALWAYS SERVE US RIGHT.
A lot of our mind work occurs at a non-conscious level. We can be propelled into action or aware of the emotions that we may feel but not...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
8 min read
COMPASSION IS NOT THE SAME AS HELP.
Have you ever stayed up all night worrying about the wellbeing of someone you care about? You might have just learnt about this person’s...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
3 min read
FROM PAVLOV'S DOGS TO BAD VIBES
Have you ever felt “bad energy”? You might believe that some people create bad vibes and feel particularly uncomfortable with them. ...
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
4 min read
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