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Therapy is a mental health treatment proven to help people overcome many challenges, from improving their ability to communicate and make life decisions to managing mental health conditions. Board-certified psychiatrist Sylvia Cartwright, MD, has years of experience using different therapeutic techniques to improve each person’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health. Dr. Cartwright offers therapy to people living in California through convenient telehealth appointments. Call the office in La Jolla, California, today or connect online to request a telehealth consultation and take the first step toward building a fulfilling life.
What is therapy?
Therapy, also called talk therapy, is a service provided by a mental health professional to treat negative and dysfunctional behaviors, emotional reactions, and ways of thinking.
Dr. Cartwright gives you a safe place to share your experiences and explore your thoughts and feelings. As your therapist, she guides the conversation, synthesizing the information you share, offering insight into your challenges, and providing the information you need to achieve your goals.
When would I need therapy?
Therapy can help if you feel stuck in your job, can’t make a major decision, or you’re struggling with a life transition. People often seek therapy when they can’t resolve conflicts at work, feel burned-out, or dread going to work because of a negative environment.
You may benefit from therapy if you struggle with problems like low self-esteem, uncontrollable angry outbursts, or difficulty building relationships.
There are only two primary treatments for psychiatric disorders: medication management and therapy. Whether alone or with medication, therapy improves all mental health conditions, including:
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Dr. Cartwright also works with patients facing mental health issues that arise when they’re diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as sadness, anxiety, anger, and depression.
One type of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), is the gold standard treatment for people who have difficulty sleeping. In addition to improving your sleep, therapy may also prevent depression and other mental health issues caused by sleep deprivation.
What type of therapy might I receive?
After learning about your challenges and symptoms and completing a psychiatric evaluation, Dr. Cartwright recommends the therapy best suited for meeting your mental health needs.
Though she may suggest one of many therapeutic approaches, she frequently uses insight-oriented psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Psychodynamic and insight-oriented therapy both explore your emotions and relationships with people. They often delve into the connection between painful and traumatic past experiences and how they affect your current emotions and behaviors.
CBT is based on the principle that your thoughts unconsciously influence your emotions and behaviors. During CBT, you learn to recognize and change negative thoughts and distorted perceptions, which improves your emotional well-being and supports your ability to stop perpetuating problematic behaviors.
Call Sylvia Cartwright, MD, today, or go online to request a telehealth appointment and learn how therapy can positively alter your path in life.