Dr. Ellison M. Cale, Ph.D. ​​Harrisonburg Psychological Services Inc.
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  • About Me
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  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) & Evidence-Based Practice
  • Contact Information and Location
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Services
  • What to Expect
  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) & Evidence-Based Practice
  • Contact Information and Location
Throughout this website, I have highlighted "evidence-based practice."  I consistently strive to provide clients with treatments, techniques and skills that, according to the research literature, are most likely to treat their symptoms and problems.  My education and experience reflect a commitment to evidence-based practice in psychology.

Evidence-based practice in psychology does not mean applying a boilerplate treatment to everyone who has a specific disorder.  Instead, evidence-based practice refers to integrating (1) the most current , comprehensive research  with (2) specific client characteristics and preferences and (3) the therapist's clinical expertise (APA, 2006).

In psychology, behavioral and cognitive therapies have been the most extensively researched of all therapies, and they have the most research evi
dence for a wide variety of disorders (Chambless & Ollendick, 2001; Craske, 2010).  Collectively, these therapies have come to be called "Cognitive Behavior Therapy" or "CBT," but the truth of the matter is that "CBT" is an umbrella term referring to a wide range of behavioral and cognitive approaches for treating emotional difficulties.  There is a tremendous literature supporting the use of treatments that fall under this broad category.  

To learn more about "CBT" and the commonalities among such treatments, I recommend the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies website.  It is an excellent resource for both professionals and potential clients.  The wesbite provides general information regarding CBT as well as details regarding research support for CBT and links to CBT resources.

My areas of specialty include treating anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Some of these problems include excessive worry, panic attacks, phobias, hoarding, and OCD.  I have experience providing research-supported cognitive-behavioral treatments for these difficulties. There is evidence that other problems, such as chronic avoidance and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also respond well to CBT.  While some of these treatments are very structured, I have considerable experience in being flexible and effectively adapting the treatments to clients' individual needs.  ​


If you are interested in learning more about CBT, I hope that these resources and links are helpful to you.  You are welcome to contact me if you have additional questions regarding the information presented here.  
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  • American Psychological Association Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. (2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychologist, 61, 271–285.
  • Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies www.abct.org
  • Chambless, D. L., & Ollendick, T. H. (2001). Empirically supported psychological interventions: Controversies and evidence. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 685-716.
  • Craske, M. G. (2010). Cognitive behavior therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
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