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Understanding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

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What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term focused psychotherapy approach designed for a wide range of psychological problems. It's a way of talking about how you think about yourself, the world, and others. CBT helps people understand the intricate links between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Essentially, how you think (your cognition) influences how you feel (your emotions) and what you do (your behaviour). CBT operates on the principle that our emotional and behavioural responses depend significantly on our perception and understanding of events. What we think and anticipate can greatly affect our reactions to people and situations.

The CBT Process

CBT is a structured, present-focused, and time-limited psychotherapy. It is problem-focused, goal-orientated, and primarily deals with challenges in the "here and now." However, there are times when discussing your past may be necessary to understand its impact on your current situation.
This form of therapy combines both cognitive and behavioural techniques. Once you understand your thought patterns and how to address them, CBT helps you train yourself to respond differently, potentially leading to a more satisfying way of life. It utilises practical techniques and exercises to help you make lasting changes in your thinking and behaviour, ultimately making you feel better.
Therapy typically lasts between 6-20 sessions, each of 60 minutes duration, depending on the nature and severity of your current difficulties.

Conditions and Problems CBT Can Help With

CBT has been shown to effectively address many different types of psychological problems. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) also indicates its utility for individuals with long-term physical health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. You can find more information on the NICE website.

How Effective is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Research has shown Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to be highly effective. It is the treatment of choice for a number of common mental health problems as indicated in The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, (NICE) clinical guideline. www.nice.org.uk

The effectiveness of short-term CBT is well established for anxiety disorders, depression, obsessional problems, reactions to trauma and eating disorders and has been clinically proven to be the most effective treatment for moderate and severe depression, with proven efficacy that CBT works as well as antidepressants for many forms of depression. Evidence suggests that CBT may be better than antidepressants in helping anxiety.

CBT has also been shown to be effective for more complex emotional problems requiring longer term treatment.

What do CBT sessions involve

Therapy has a beginning, middle and end.

The Beginning: Your First Meeting

At your first meeting you will have a comprehensive assessment, this will give you the opportunity to talk about your problems and ask questions. It will also give you the opportunity to see if this approach is suitable for you.

I will ask you about your current problems, and aspects of your life to help me to get a more complete picture of you as a person and your situation and how your current problems affect you now.

We will work collaboratively together to develop a shared understanding of what your problems are, what is maintaining your problem, how you would like things to be different and what you will need to change to achieve this.

The Middle: Active Therapy Work

The middle part of therapy is where you will have the opportunity to decide your goals for therapy.

We will actively work together to look at your thoughts, feelings and behaviours in regard to specific situations that cause you emotional distress and then work out how best to change your unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.

I will teach you techniques to help you to overcome your problems. I can guide and encourage you to make these changes, however, I cannot do it for you.

It may be easier to talk about an unhelpful thought or behaviour in session; however, it is much harder to do something to change it.

Between Session Tasks

After you have identified an unhelpful thought or behaviour that you can change and how you may do so, I will recommend that you practice this change in your everyday life as an "In between session task".

Evidence suggests that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works best when you take an active part in the process.

The End: Review and Continued Progress

Towards the end of therapy, we will review your progress together, discuss your therapy gains and draw up your continued improvement plan.

Session Frequency

Sessions are usually attended weekly in the first instance, taper off to bi-weekly and then monthly if you so wish.

Take the Next Step

If you think CBT could be right for you, or if you would like to find out more, please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you and aim to respond to your enquiry within 24 hours.

Call: 07594 610880 Email: joyce@trinitycbtsuffolk.com