What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
CBT is a "talking therapy" and is a way of looking at:
- How you think about yourself, the world and other people
- How what you do affects your thoughts and moods
Unlike some of the other therapies, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on problems and difficulties in the "here and now". Rather than focussing on the past, it looks for ways to improve how you cope with things now.
What can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) help?
CBT has been found to be helpful in:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic and anxiety attacks
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Phobias, including agoraphobia
- Social anxiety
- Eating disorders, including bulimia
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Schizophrenia
How does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy work?
CBT can help you understand your current difficulties by breaking them down into smaller parts and can make it easier to see how they affect you currently.
What does CBT involve?
In your sessions with me, you break each problem down into its separate parts. To help this process, I may ask you to keep a diary. This helps you to identify your individual patterns of thoughts, mood, bodily feelings and behaviour.
Together we'll look at your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to work out:
- If they are unrealistic or unhelpful
- How they affect you and other people
I can then help you to work out how to challenge unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
CBT can be done individually, as part of 'group therapy' or using self-help material or a computer program by yourself.
After you've identified what needs to change, I'll recommend different tasks to do in your own time (homework, for want of a better phrase). This may include:
- Questioning self-critical thoughts and replacing them with more realistic, or 'balanced thoughts'
- Recognising which behaviours may be unhelpful or make you feel worse and trying more helpful actions instead
At each session, I'll ask you how you've got on since your last appointment. We can then troubleshoot any problems or difficulties you've had with the tasks.
You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. The therapy is 'client-centred', which means you choose what you want to focus on.
The strength of CBT is that you can continue to practise and develop your skills even after the sessions have finished. This makes it less likely that your symptoms or problems will return.
How effective is CBT?
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the most effective treatments for conditions where anxiety or depression is the main problem
- It is the most effective psychological treatment for moderate and severe depression
- It is as effective as antidepressants for many types of depression
There is some research that suggests CBT may be better than antidepressants at preventing depression coming back.
How long will the treatment last?
Some people improve after a few sessions, Others need 6-12 sessions. Occasionally it can take up to 16 sessions. It will depend on the type of problem and how it is working for you.
What if the symptoms come back?
There is always a risk that the anxiety or depression will return. Often relapse management can be incorporated into therapy sessions. By regularly using your CBT skills you can effectively manage any lapses that you have.
How to find out more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
For more details or to book a session, please contact me (Helm), either by email on
or by telephone on 07504 559248.
You can also visit my personal website at www.helmtherapy.co.uk.
You can see my profile by clicking here.
The Nightingale Clinic
