Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
It’s easy to find yourself getting into vicious circles, where the way that you are thinking & the things that you are doing are only making your situation worse. With new skills & practices, CBT helps you find your way out of unhelpful habits.
What is CBT?
One of the most well-known types of talking therapy, CBT aims to help you explore the ways that your emotions, thoughts, physical sensations & actions are all connected. CBT helps you to become more aware of unhelpful patterns of thinking that may be keeping you trapped in more negative feelings & habits. We look at ways that our physical sensations may also become part of these patterns. Once you notice these patterns, you can begin learning how to change your thoughts & behaviors & develop new strategies of coping. There is an emphasis on finding new ways of thinking & behaviour in order to modify how you feel, in both mind & body.
Unlike some other therapies, CBT is rooted in the present & looks to the future. While past events and experiences are considered during the sessions, the focus is more on current concerns. It tends to be more short-term than other therapies.
What does CBT involve?
It is a very collaborative approach. I’ll help you discover the patterns in your thoughts, feelings, behaviours & experiences by guiding you with my questioning. I’ll ask you to keep records of your thoughts as you learn new skills to move from automatically thinking negatively to more rational & balanced perspectives. I’ll also help you devise ‘experiments’ to test things out (such as new ways of behaving) together. There is often some type of homework to practice applying your new skills & learning in everyday life.
In my work, I often integrate CBT with other approaches such as Schema Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy & Mindfulness approaches. These are known as ‘Third Wave Therapies’. Rather than seeing your thoughts as ‘faulty’ this approach is interested in helping you be more at ease with yourself & the world.
SO WHAT DOES CBT INVOLVE?The main ingredients of CBT:
Recognizing how the way you think can worsen problems.
Learning to replace unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts with more encouraging & realistic ones.
Learning to talk to yourself in a more compassionate way.
Keeping records of your thoughts & behaviours.
Learning new problem-solving skills.
Learning how to face fears & challenges & rehearsing ways of coping in difficult situations.
Practicing relaxation techniques.
Scheduling & practicing helpful behaviours.
Setting goals & working towards these.
FAQS
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Perhaps most important of all, CBT is for people who want to take a very active role in their own healing process. It helps if you like a structured approach & are willing to have a go at new things & practice them in between sessions. This ‘homework’ is an integral part of the approach
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CBT tends to work well with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, sleep problems, phobias & for those who want to change their behaviour, amongst other conditions. When difficulties are very entrenched & complex other approaches may be advised. CBT also has a good evidence base for helping people to manage persistent pain & health conditions.
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CBT has a good evidence base & is proven to be effective for almost all mental health difficulties. It is recommended in the main guidelines used in the NHS for almost all mental health difficulties.
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The course of CBT can be anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on your circumstance
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If you don’t like a structured approach or prefer to explore more about the impact of past experiences using other therapy approaches may suit you better.
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Many people I see have already tried CBT in NHS settings. This may have been on a very short-term basis or delivered over the telephone. If so, it may be worth revisiting CBT & discussing the pros & cons of whether this approach might be worth another go in a way that is more tailored to your needs. It might also be that combining CBT with other approaches may better suit you & make the therapy more effective.
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No - CBT focuses on finding more balanced & helpful ways of thinking: It’s not about just putting rose-tinted specs on & pretending things are all great: Sometimes unfortunately reality IS pretty tough & negative thoughts are understandable. In these situations, we might try & change how we manage & relate to our thoughts, rather than focusing on changing what we are thinking. This can bring benefits to mental health.
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Find out more here. This link also tells you about free NHS services for CBT.
(please note - I am currently listed on the list of chartered clinical psychologists on the British Psychological Society website, rather than the Directory mentioned in this link)).
Get Started
I offer a free initial 20-minute online meeting to discuss your needs, & answer any questions you may have. It’s also a chance for us to see if we are a good ‘fit’ to work together.