Perinatal Mental Health Care
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What is CBT?

2/22/2018

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Have you ever wondered what CBT is? It stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, right? Ok, but have you wondered what that actually means?!? Instead of lecturing you about core beliefs, the cognitive triad, automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions and citing hundreds of research articles about how effective this therapy can be, I thought that a few images will help you understand how it works, especially for a new mom. 
 
This first image, thanks to the Parent Connection (UK), shows how our thoughts (also known as cognitions), feelings and behaviors are linked - and these arrows should be bi-directional, because in this example, feeling unsupported or lonely might also cause one to turn away from a partner or a friend. 
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​But thoughts are not facts.

 
Let that sink in for a minute and then take a look at all of these cognitive distortions we make, many on a daily basis:
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So what now?? I have visually shown you how your thoughts influence your feelings and cause you to act in ways that may not help - which is probably not news to you.
 
The slideshow of images below, thanks to a former patient (all identifying information removed), is a step-by-step example of a thought record that a new mom completed in session to begin to challenge these thoughts and change the resulting feelings and behaviors. 
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a process that takes 10-12 fifty minute sessions and thought records are only one piece. I am asked about how this therapy works, on a regular basis (even from the physicians I work with at Cedars), and thought this post might help.
 
If you have questions, please comment below and/or contact me.
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    Picture

    Dr. Accortt in the News

    February 2023: Glamour Magazine: Postpartum Anxiety Is More Common Than You Think—Here’s What You Need to Know

    December 2022: Cedars-Sinai Newsroom: 
    Immune System Irregularities Found in Women With Postpartum Mood & Anxiety Disorders

    October 2022: Verywell Family, Researchers Find Possible Predictor of Postpartum Depression

    June 2022: ABC News, Postpartum Depression Screening, Changes to Nurse Training.

    August 2021:
     AirTalk KPCC Radio, 
    The History of C-Sections, The Significance We Put on "Birth Stories" And How It Impacts Mental health
     (fast forward to 13 minute mark)

    July 2021: AirTalk KPCC Radio, Why Women Have Long Kept Early Parts of Pregnancy a Secret and the Arguments For Moving Away From the 12-week rule
    (fast forward to 28 minute mark)

    July 2021: Los Angeles Times, Postpartum depression on the rise, especially for women of color, during COVID-19 pandemic

    October 2020: The Candidly, PMDD Affects Millions Of Women. So Why Aren’t We Talking About It?

    October 2020: Cedars-Sinai Discoveries Magazine, A Real-Life Stress Test

    September 2020: Cedars-Sinai Blog, Infertility and Mental Health

    July 2020: Cedars-Sinai Newsroom, 
    Reproductive Psychology Program Focuses on Mother and Family Wellness

    May 2020: ​Hawaii News Now, Sunrise, How to Prevent Anxiety & Depression Before and After Giving Birth

    April 2020: The Bump, How to Spot Postpartum Depression in Your Partner or Friend

    12/3/19: Quartz, Ten questions about mothers’ mental health could promote resilient pregnancies

    5/10/19: CGTN America, US comedian uses her act to turn the spotlight on postpartum depression

    5/1/19: KTLA News, How One Comedian’s Battle With Postpartum Depression Turned Laughs Into Legislation

    3/20/19: KFI News Radio, FDA Approves First Drug for PPD, Brexanolone (Zulresso)

    Winter 2019: Cedars-Sinai Discoveries Magazine, Stop The Stigma

    9/11/18: USC Center for Health Journalism, Cedars-Sinai PPD Screening Program May be Model for State

    ​
    Summer 2018: Cedars-Sinai Catalyst Magazine, The Helping Hand of Los Angeles Funds Postpartum Depression Screening Program, scroll down to page 40 of magazine

    5/18/18: TODAY.com, Alyssa Milano on Postpartum Anxiety

    5/3/18: Cedars-Sinai Maternal Mental Health Research

    10/19/17: Cedars-Sinai Postpartum Depression Screening Program

    3/24/17: MomCo. App for Social Support

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    Dr. Accortt is a California licensed clinical psychologist. When she isn't seeing patients in private practice she conducts research in the OBGYN department at Cedars-Sinai. She will update this page with important maternal mental health news and research.

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