WHAT IS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological therapy that is highly researched and shown to be effective at treating a wide range of emotional problems. Call us now on 0800 0614548 and find out how we can help you.

How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps you solve difficulties by exploring the patterns of how you think and behave in different situations that impact on your emotions.  A key idea behind CBT is that it is our perceptions of events  (how we see them) that can affect how we deal with them  –  and how we ultimately feel.  Therapy can be individual or as a couple (sometimes called couples counselling.)

CBT is a very goal focused psychotherapy and is guided by the outcomes that you want to achieve.

Therapy begins with an initial assessment appointment which gives you the opportunity to explain the problems you are facing to your therapist and also gives them the opportunity to understand your hopes for a treatment process.

During this session they will ask you questions designed to help explore your current situation and any relevant experiences from your past.  At the end of the session your therapist will be able to give you a summary of the session and recommendations for effective treatment – together with an estimation of the number of sessions that are likely to be helpful to you.  Often this is within a range of 8-14 sessions, but can vary depending on your own situation.

 

How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Break Negative Cycles?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will help you to learn about the links between your thoughts, behaviours and emotions.  The goal of the Therapy is to help you build a ‘tool kit’ of psychological skills and techniques that you can use to become your own therapist.

CBT Diagram

During CBT sessions your Therapist will help you identify problem areas in your life and will explore with you how each of these problems are maintained.   For example, areas you might focus on could be:

  • Unhelpful ways of coping   (e.g. avoidance, self harm or substance misuse)
  • Unhelpful Thinking    (such as a negative focus or ‘all or nothing thinking’)
  • Intense unpleasant emotions   (such as hopelessness, shame or guilt)
  • Unpleasant physical sensations    (for example, lethargy, palpitations or sweating)
  • Traumatic experiences   (for example coping after an assault, relationship break up or redundancy)

Will Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Help Me Long Term?

Your Therapist will often help you tackle current problem areas initially.  Following this they will explore with you how you can reduce the chances of experiencing the same or similar problems in the future.  This is sometimes called relapse prevention and it is an incredibly important benefit of having Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Your therapist might suggest that you have some follow-up or ‘booster’ sessions after you have finished treatment.  These are designed to help maximise the learning and changes you have made during CBT.

 

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