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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy · Arlington, VA
Cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and structured thought work for depression, anxiety, panic, substance use, and insomnia, delivered individually and in group through PHP, IOP, and outpatient care for adults in Arlington, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
Medically reviewed by the VABH Medical Team
The CBT toolkit
CBT is one of the most researched forms of psychotherapy. Here's what the model actually involves, session to session.
CBT's core premise: a situation triggers a thought, the thought produces a feeling, and the feeling drives a behavior. Change the thought and the feeling and behavior often follow. This model is taught explicitly, not assumed.
Identifying automatic thoughts, testing them against actual evidence, and building a more accurate alternative. Not "positive thinking," but a disciplined process of checking whether a thought is true and useful.
Structured, scheduled re-engagement with activity and connection, used heavily for depression. Motivation often follows action rather than preceding it, so we schedule the action first.
A written worksheet tracking situation, automatic thought, emotion, evidence for and against, and a balanced alternative thought. Filled out in session at first, then independently as a core piece of homework.
CBT is only as effective as the work done outside the therapy hour. Expect a specific, concrete assignment most weeks, reviewed together at the start of your next session.
For panic and anxiety disorders, gradual, planned exposure to feared situations or sensations, done at a pace you control, to break the avoidance cycle that keeps anxiety in place.
Learn more about Exposure-based CBTA specific CBT protocol targeting the beliefs and habits that maintain chronic insomnia, often more durable than sleep medication alone and used alongside psychiatric care when needed.
Where CBT has the strongest evidence
CBT isn't a generic talk therapy. It's a specific, protocol-driven approach with the strongest evidence for these conditions.
One of the conditions with the strongest CBT evidence. Cognitive restructuring plus behavioral activation targets both the thinking patterns and the withdrawal that keep depressive episodes running.
Learn more about DepressionCBT identifies catastrophic thinking and avoidance patterns specific to your anxiety, then builds a graded plan to face what's been avoided.
Learn more about Anxiety disordersCBT with interoceptive exposure, deliberately inducing feared physical sensations in session, is considered a front-line treatment and often produces meaningful change within weeks.
Learn more about Panic disorderCBT for substance use focuses on identifying triggers, high-risk thoughts, and building specific coping responses before a craving turns into use.
Learn more about Substance use disordersA specialized CBT protocol called exposure and response prevention is the recognized standard for OCD, targeting compulsions directly rather than the content of the obsessions.
Learn more about OCDCBT-I addresses the sleep-interfering beliefs and behaviors, such as staying in bed while awake, that perpetuate insomnia long after the original trigger has passed.
Most CBT protocols run twelve to twenty sessions for a specific target problem. Within PHP and IOP, CBT is delivered more intensively, often producing comparable gains in a shorter calendar window.
You'll encounter CBT both one-to-one, where it's tailored to your specific thought patterns, and in group, where skills are taught and practiced alongside peers working on similar issues.
Learn more about CBT in individual and group formatsLevels of care
CBT is delivered at every level of care, with intensity scaled to match how much support you need right now.
Daily CBT skills groups plus individual sessions to apply cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation to your specific case, alongside psychiatric care.
CBT delivered in group and individual sessions three to five days a week, with homework assignments carried between sessions to keep progress moving outside program hours.
Weekly CBT sessions for depression, anxiety, or insomnia, often combined with psychiatric follow-up when medication is part of the plan.
CBT delivered by secure video for Virginia residents, since our clinicians are licensed in Virginia. In-person CBT at our Arlington center serves Virginia, Maryland, and DC.
Across the river from Maryland
Our Arlington center is a short drive from Bethesda, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. Maryland clients regularly attend in-person CBT here as part of PHP or IOP, and evening tracks keep treatment compatible with a DC workday. Telehealth sessions are available for Virginia residents.
Common questions
A therapist helps you identify a specific automatic thought tied to a recent situation, examines the evidence for and against it, and works with you toward a more accurate and useful alternative. Sessions typically end with a specific piece of homework to practice before the next visit.
CBT is structured and goal-directed. It uses specific tools, thought records, behavioral experiments, exposure exercises, aimed at a defined target problem, rather than open-ended conversation. Homework between sessions is a core part of the model, not optional.
CBT has the strongest evidence base for depression, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, OCD, insomnia, and substance use disorders. It's also used alongside medication for bipolar disorder and other conditions where thinking patterns contribute to relapse.
Most standalone CBT protocols run twelve to twenty weekly sessions for a specific problem. Within PHP or IOP, CBT is delivered more intensively across daily groups and individual sessions, so meaningful progress often happens within a few weeks.
It's strongly recommended. CBT's effectiveness depends heavily on practicing skills outside the session, whether that's a thought record, a scheduled activity, or a planned exposure exercise. Your therapist will help you find assignments that fit your actual week.
Yes, and for moderate to severe depression, anxiety, or panic disorder this combination often outperforms either alone. Our medical staff may prescribe medication alongside CBT when it's clinically indicated, and the two are coordinated as one plan.
Yes, for Virginia residents. Our clinicians are licensed in Virginia, so telehealth CBT sessions are offered statewide. In-person CBT at our Arlington center is open to Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC residents.
In-person care at 5400 Shawnee Road, Arlington, VA for VA, MD, and DC residents. Telehealth for Virginia residents only.
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Insurance accepted
CBT delivered through individual therapy, PHP, and IOP is a covered behavioral health benefit under most commercial plans — Anthem, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Sentara Health Plans, UMR, and Johns Hopkins Health Plans. Send us your card and we'll confirm your benefits before you begin.
Don't see your plan? Call us — we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay.