Here are a few of the topics I will cover in this blog over the coming weeks.If you have any specific areas of interest, please let me know. The objective of the Toronto Psychologist blog is to offer as much information as possible for you to have a thorough understanding of the procedures and techniques employed by cognitive therapy, before beginning treatment. This blog can also complement any treatment you are currently receiving.Its aim is to be helpful… so any suggestions or comments you may have are greatly appreciated.

1. What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

An explanation of CBT and how it is different from classic psychoanalysis and social psychology.

To find out more, click here: Toronto Psychologist link

2. Insomnia

Not being able to sleep is often a psychosomatic condition.

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3. Smoking

CBT can help you to quit smoking without the use of gums, patches or drugs. The effects are often more effective, and more pervasive.To find out more, click here: Toronto Psychologist link

4. Other Addictions

Gambling, cocaine, and prescription drugs can tear families apart. Addiction often stems from deep-seeded psychological conditions that can be resolved through CBT.

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5. The hard science of psychology

Controlled laboratory experiments can demonstrate replicable data to prove the effectiveness of CBT in scientific settings.

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6. The degree paradigmI

n this experiment, the time it takes for a match to be made between two objects is directly dependent on the number of degrees they are from each other.

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7. The mammal → bird experiment

Here is another CBT experiment that measures the time between responses of two similar vs dissimilar words. Over a long enough timeline it is possible to map out a consistent cognitive structure of the brain, much like a computer.

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8. Phobias

Phobias can also be addressed through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Powerful, irrational fears can be detrimental to one’s health and overall mental and physical well-being. By taking a logical, step-by-step progression, CBT can relieve these pressures.We will take a closer look at a few examples.

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9. Depression

Depression is a clinical condition often treated with drugs. There is another way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers a non-medical way to treat depression as a strictly psychological condition. And it has proved to be very effective.

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10. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

There are experiences in life that can leave us with lasting feelings of despair, fear or anxiety. PTSD is a specialty of mine. I will offer various case studies of how I have successfully treated patients, through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

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Breast cancer patients undergo an enormous amount of psychological stress that starts from the diagnosis stage and continues on during treatment or even after remission. The stress and anxiety levels are particularly high during the 1-year period after diagnosis because the patients undergo treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

In the past, cognitive behavioural therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of anxiety in patients who suffer from anxiety-related disorders leading to long-term benefits like better coping skills. Along the same vein, researchers in the department of psychology at the University of Miami wanted to test whether cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention would decrease the amount of stress and anxiety of post-surgery breast cancer patients.

128 women participated in a randomized study in which the test group received a 10-week group-based CBSM intervention and the control group only received a 1-day psychoeducation.  Data for anxiety measures as well as physiological data from cortisol analyses were taken from both groups.

The result? Not surprisingly, those who received a 10-week CBSM intervention reported lower cancer-specific anxiety and better physiological adaptation (lower cortisol) compared with the control group. What does all this mean? Well, one thing that seems certain is that cognitive behavioral therapy is beneficial to breast cancer patients, especially during the 1-year post-diagnosis period. And that’s great news, since it’s likely that lower stress levels (lower stress hormone levels) allow the immune system to function optimally which is especially important in a vulnerable period.  

Source: Toronto Psychologist link

Toronto Psychologist blog is a resource for clients (prospective or otherwise) to learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy, psychology, therapy and psychology in Toronto.Donna Ferguson, of DFPsych, makes the Toronto Psychology blog as complete as possible. She also strives to answer any questions you may have as we move along.The Toronto Psychology blog is an organic experience so it is meant to evolve as time goes on.The best psychologists in Toronto, as well as the best psychologist in the Toronto Area will agree that cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) is an effective, and less invasive means of treating patients.Toronto psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, physicians, psychiatric nurses and mental health professionals can all use the Toronto Psychologist blog as a resource and, hopefully, a watering hole for new ideas and breakthroughs in the field of psychology.

This is my profile – with hyperlinks for easy reference.Donna Ferguson is a Toronto psychologist registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She provides psychological assessments and treatments, specifically Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy focused, in the area of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and other Anxiety Disorders.Dr. Ferguson also works at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Healthat the Psychological Trama Program, Work Stress and Health Program.Her clinical research interests and areas of specialty include concurrent disorders in anxiety disorders and/or co-morbid depressive disorders with gambling pathology (in areas of assessment and intervention).Dr. Ferguson has published research in problem gambling and has worked with clients in the area of gambling addiction. She has also published articles in the area of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.Dr. Ferguson is a graduate of the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. She is a member of the Ontario Psychology Association and the Canadian Psychology Association. Dr. Ferguson is also listed with the Canadian Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.

Support, guidance and encouragement are the keystones of self-development and change. This is what we strive to provide at DF Psych, through our strength-based philosophy.Whether you seek positive change in your life, or the elimination of harmful thoughts, patterns or behaviors, we address every issue in a way that is objective, confidential and non-judgmental.There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Everyone has difficulties from time to time, and our approach is to treat each and every case with understanding, professionalism and compassion. We address addictions and undesirable behaviors and help to create positive change.We also believe in helping you to actualize your full potential. Whether it is to achieve goals, or to take a positive approach to life, we can help you to get in the mindset of success – whatever that success may be to you personally.

As a Toronto psychologist, Donna Ferguson understands the overwhelming options for treatment that abound in Toronto today. There are many psychologists in Canada, however, when choosing apsychologist in Toronto it is essential to choose a psychologist that best suits your needs. Deciding on a psychologist is a very personal choice. It often entails finding a psychologist that connects with you on a personal level, and while there are many psychologists in Toronto, perhaps only a few of them bridge that connection.If you are looking for a Toronto psychologist that has both the experience and the ability to maintain a relationship of trust and respect, then you should look no further than Donna Ferguson. Also known by her business of DFPsych, Donna is a Toronto psychologistwith over ten years of experience and a professional background.

DFPsych is made up of a small but highly skilled team of Psychologists, Therapists and Psychology Interns. We provide highly specified psychological treatment within Toronto and the surrounding areas.DF Psychological Services is owned and operated by a licensed psychologist who provides counseling, consultations and assessments.We operate both on a referral basis from health care institutions and through self-referrals.

Insomnia, characterized by persistent difficulty to fall asleep or staying asleep, is a symptom that almost everyone in the world has suffered through at one point or another whether it is the occasional night of tossing and turning or years upon years of sleeplessness.Those who experience chronic insomnia that occurs nightly for a minimum of one month are considered to have a sleep disorder. Recognizing not only that chronic insomnia is a major health problem with significant psychological, health, and economic consequences but also that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for chronic insomnia, researchers at University of Virginia Health System have devised an online program that offers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to patients with chronic insomnia. The online program (internet intervention) is based on CBT that incorporates stimulus control, sleep hygiene, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention.To test this online CBT program, the group of researchers led by Dr. Lee M. Ritterband recruited 44 participants who had a history of sleep difficulties longer than 10 years on average and randomly assigned them to either the control group or the internet intervention group.The result? The Internet intervention group showed significant improvements on the Insomnia Severity Index, decreases in waking up during sleep, and increases in sleep efficiency compared to the control group. Moreover, the group that received online-CBT maintained their improvements 6 months post-treatment which is good news for those of us sick of counting sheep.Source:Toronto Psychologist link