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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 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.
A Multifactor Model of Anger and Irritability: From "Losing It" to Gaining a Sense of Self.
In popular culture, anger it is often portrayed as a hydraulic force that must be "vented" or a moral failing that must be suppressed. Neither view is accurate, and neither leads to long-term change. If you have ever felt the sudden, hot hijack of a rage episode, you know that "calming down" is often impossible in the moment. If you have ever spent days stewing over a rude comment, replaying the scene in your head until you are exhausted, you know that "letting it go" is easi
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
18 min read
If Only This Did Not Happen: Finding Meaning When Our World Breaks
There is a distinct "Before" and "After" in the timeline of a human life. This demarcation line is usually drawn by tragedy. In the "Before," the world felt predictable, perhaps even safe. In the "After," the map you used to navigate reality lies shredded. Clients often come to therapy with a singular, heartbreaking wish: "I just want to get back to normal. I want to be who I was before this happened." It is the most human desire imaginable. Yet healing cannot happen without
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
7 min read
Wisdom: Living Life with Emotions and Pragmatism
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. The emphasis of effective action is not a dismissal of emotion. Our
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
10 min read
When Feeling and Knowing Disagree
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
"Why am I feeling this way?" When Emotional GPS Uses Outdated Data.
Imagine this scenario: Robert, a successful entrepreneur in his late 40s, a pillar of his community, dedicated and responsible. He’s taking full charge of his aging parent’s care, ensuring every need is met. Yet, during a mundane phone call, when his parent offers a slight criticism about his choice of laundry detergent, Robert is suddenly overwhelmed by a familiar, searing wave of guilt. "Why am I feeling this way?" he wonders. "I’m doing everything right, and my parent is t
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
11 min read
“But I don’t want to be feeling this way!” How Attentional Syndrome Keeps You Stuck
We’ve all been there: grappling with an uncomfortable emotion – anxiety, sadness, anger, shame – and wishing that it would just… vanish. That gnawing sensation, that restless energy, that heavy weight in our chest. Our knee-jerk reaction is often to push it away, distract ourselves, or figure out why we're feeling this way and how to make it stop. While these attempts might offer temporary relief, they often lead to a frustrating paradox: the more we try to control or elimin
Joanna Szczeskiewicz
12 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
9 min read
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