Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT is a combination of cognitive therapy that helps with thinking processes, and behavioural therapy that focuses on behaviour in response to those thoughts. Using a set of structured techniques, a CBT practitioner aims to identify how you are thinking and how this can affect your emotions and behaviour. You will learn to balance unhelpful thinking. For example, negative thoughts usually lead to upsetting or angry feelings which can affect your mood and your behaviour. If you're unable to balance such thoughts with a more positive view, a negative spiral starts and your perceptions of a situation become distorted. CBT encourages you to change the way you react to events, your beliefs about yourself and your abilities, so that you achieve a more realistic view of yourself and situations.

How CBT Works

You will learn to understand your thoughts, emotions, physical feelings and behaviours in reaction to a situation. You will probably be asked to keep a diary so that you can identify how you react to certain events. You and your therapist then work together to make changes. Once you've learnt to identify negative patterns, you'll be asked to practise alternative balanced thinking. This isn't always easy but using CBT techniques you can try out different behavioural approaches in real situations, which can help to bring about changes. You won't be asked to do anything that you don't feel comfortable with.

What can CBT help with?

During the assessment phase of the therapy I will work with you in order to form a detailed understanding of your difficulties and from this will develop an individualised treatment plan. Some of the difficulties that CBT can help with include the following: • Depression • Anxiety • Low self esteem • Trauma • OCD • Work and stress issues • Panic Disorder • Health anxiety

BABCP Accredited

I am an accredited member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP)

CBT