TEAM-CBT

Shayla DeVisser

LCSW

Founder of Thrive with CBT – A Therapy Place

Subject: What is Team CBT and Why You Should Try It

As the founder of Thrive with CBT, I believe clients benefit from understanding the therapy they are participating in, including why it works and how it can change the way you think and feel.

I have had the opportunity to work extensively in many areas of the mental health field, including clinical work at multiple agencies. After being introduced to TEAM-CBT by a fellow clinician, and using the tools and treatment modality, I found my clients who were treated with TEAM-CBT were gaining significant progress and having remarkable outcomes.  I have since dedicated myself to continuing training in this treatment modality, and I currently maintain a level 3 certification  with the Feeling Good Institute.

TEAM-CBT is a modern therapeutic framework that uses evidence-based cognitive behavior therapy to provide specific individualized treatment. The approach was developed by Dr. David Burns and has been continually refined over the years by Dr. Burns and his colleagues at the Feeling Good Institute. Dr. Burns is considered one of the pioneers in cognitive behavioral therapy, is an award-winning researcher, and adjunct clinical professor emeritus at Stanford University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Burns, in his research, developed a new form of therapy called T.E.A.M. which improves some of the inadequacies in traditional CBT as well as most other forms of psychotherapy. T.E.A.M. includes CBT and additional therapeutic tools.

TEAM stands for Testing, Empathy, Agenda-Setting, and Methods. Research shows that each of these parts in therapy provide better outcomes to clients. TEAM-CBT brings it all under one treatment modality.

T = Testing
We check in at the start and end of each session to see how you’re feeling and whether therapy is helping using a short, standardized questioner. This helps us track real progress, adjust when something is not working, and make sure your therapy stays focused and effective. Learn more about the research behind testing: Routine Outcome Monitoring and Clinical Feedback in Psychotherapy: Recent Advances and Future Directions.

E = Empathy
A strong therapy relationship matters. You should feel understood, respected, and supported. I specifically train in multiple empathy skills that help me establish a warm therapeutic alliance with you. I believe that the empathic connection is a necessary ingredient for successful therapy. Research shows that even the most sophisticated methods are more effective once the empathic connection has been established. Learn more about research behind empathy and client outcomes: Therapist empathy and client outcome: An updated meta-analysis.

A = Agenda-Setting
Therapy works best when we are clear about what you want to change and what may be getting in the way. Together, we identify your goals, build motivation, and focus each session on what matters most to you.

Change can be hard, and a part of us may naturally resist it—even when we truly want to feel better. When that resistance is not recognized or addressed, therapy can feel stuck, with little noticeable progress.

I have found that traditional talk therapy and less modern forms of cognitive behavioral therapy tend to skip over this deep introspection and the resistance to change. This step is one of the most powerful parts of TEAM-CBT. I am not going to just provide you with ‘coping’ tools without first helping you understand your thinking and recognize any resistance to change. At its core, that is what cognitive behavior therapy is all about: how you think about something can change how you feel. 

After decades in the mental health field, I have found that this is the ‘secret sauce’ in the TEAM-CBT framework that creates lasting lifelong changes for my clients. I spend considerable time helping you understand your resistance to change before moving onto methods.

M = Methods
After understanding our negative thoughts, feelings and agenda setting sessions, we move to practical tools that can help you change your thought patterns. These methods are practiced in session and between sessions via homework and exposure, so you can keep making progress in real life.  This is the fun part, where you’ll see very rapid change and see significant changes in your mood for the better. This part uses more ‘traditional’ methods of the cognitive behavior therapy approach along with newly developed CBT techniques. Learn more about the efficacy of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Here: The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses.

I believe utilizing the TEAM-CBT framework provides the most advanced cognitive behavioral therapy to date.  Further, the Feeling Good Institute provides on-going training and certification standards. This ensures Thrive with CBT clinicians stay up to date and highly proficient in their therapy skills. 

I hope this provides you with some insight and understanding of why our main treatment modality here at Thrive with CBT is cognitive behavioral therapy and why we utilize the TEAM-CBT framework to provide an evidence-based structured form of therapy. Therapy should not require a lifetime of therapy sessions but should deliver measurable, positive outcomes and skills that will have a lasting effect on you.