All About Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or CBT?

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is sometimes also called CBT, for short. It is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems and the way that you feel. This happens by working together with a CBT therapist to change the way that you think about your problems and the way that you behave. CBT can be delivered either face-to-face or online, to individuals or groups of people.

How does CBT work?

CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings and actions (i.e. the way that you behave and react) are interconnected. When you have overwhelming problems, your negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle. 

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. You and your therapist can then look at each of the parts together to restructure how you think about them. CBT can also help you to learn new ways to cope with problems so that you feel more able to cope in the future. Putting these skills together can help you to develop a more positive cycle of thoughts, feelings and actions.

How do I know if CBT is right for me?

CBT is effective for treating a number of different mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, schizophrenia, insomnia and alcohol misuse. It can also help people with long-term health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and fibromyalgia.

What happens during CBT?

CBT is a collaborative and supportive type of therapy, where you work together with your therapist on your problems. Together you will set goals, try new ideas out, learn new skills, practice new ways of coping and monitor how you are getting on. 

CBT is a time-limited therapy – appointments are usually once a week, lasting an hour, and a course of treatment usually lasts between six and twenty sessions. Regular reviews of progress are built in, so that therapy only occurs if it is still needed. 

CBT is a structured approach that guides you through a process of assessment and a formulation of what the problem is, followed by treatment appointments where therapy takes place and progress is reviewed regularly. 

CBT focusses on the here-and-now. It does not try to uncover unconscious early trauma, but you will think about how past important events or experiences may affect how you deal with current events. 

CBT encourages self-discovery, experimentation and the development of new skills. This might mean that you need to spend some time in between appointments practicing a new skill from therapy. 

If you, or someone else, may benefit from CBT, contact us to arrange a consultation. 

Disclaimer: All blog content is for information only and is not mental health treatment.