There are so many reasons why I developed the Counseling Center for Change. At the heart of it, I am a teacher as much as I am a therapist. Countless times I have witnessed how teaching cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) strategies transforms lives from emotional misery into peace and improved mental, emotional, and physical functioning. I have to confess that I became excited and hooked on CBT early on in my career as I learned how to utilize the strategies in the treatment of mood disorders, ADHD, stress issues, marital problems, self-esteem issues, and obesity/weight management in my work with individuals and groups. Imagine seeing the fruits of helping patients obtain freedom from negativity to a positive shift in thinking, feeling, and behaving! I became convinced that I just didn’t want to treat the symptoms associated with depression and anxiety, or keep recommending that my patient seek more and more psychotropic medications to treat symptoms - not when I knew that more than 500 studies demonstrate CBT works in effectively rewiring the brain with repeated and intentional practice! CBT, combined with and a holistic treatment approach, has been shown to be as effective as psychotropic medications. Real change, a here and now, active approach to mental health therapy where patients could become empowered with evidenced based strategies to change their lives for the better- that’s my why. That was the underpinnings of the model of help that was envisioned for the CCFC. In my mind CBT equaled “Change Begins Today.” It became my dream, my passion, to build the place where we would become change agents to help patients transform their health, hearts, minds, and relationships.