Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on current, present problems. Instead of looking back at the past, your therapist will work with you to identify thoughts that are hindering you in some way and actions that may not be useful. Your therapist will support you in finding practical solutions for this present problems.

Viewing a situation in a negative way results in negative thoughts and emotions which ultimately lead to unhelpful behaviour. Your therapist will help you identify and challenge these thought patterns in order to learn new ways of responding.

You will have between 6 - 20 sessions with your therapist. It can be helpful to discuss with your therapist about how many sessions is likely to bring about improvement.

In the sessions, together you will unpick specific patterns of thought, feelings and behaviour. Together you will analyse these area and figure out if these learnt reactions are helpful or not.

Then comes the good part, learning to adjust and change these thoughts and behaviours.

The work is not over when you leave the session as your therapist will encourage you to become aware of those moments in your daily life when you can put these new skils to practise. This will, of course, be discussed in the next session.

Ultimately, the aim is to prepare you so you feel capable of using these skills in your daily life and with this, move away from negative thoughts and negative behaviour.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can offer hope to people who feel distressed or overwhelmed by their thoughts and emotions. It helps you learn practical ways to recognise and change unhelpful thinking patterns, replacing old pessimistic beliefs with more balanced and constructive ones.

Building confidence and self-esteem
By learning to challenge repetitive negative thoughts, CBT can help you see yourself and your abilities more clearly. As these thinking patterns begin to shift, many people experience increased confidence and improved self-esteem.

Developing lasting positive thinking patterns
One of the goals of therapy is to help you feel confident managing challenges independently. CBT provides practical tools that you can continue using in everyday life, even after therapy has ended.

Learning practical coping and relaxation techniques
CBT also focuses on how our behaviours influence how we feel. Through this approach, you can learn practical strategies and relaxation techniques that help you respond more calmly to stressful or triggering situations.

Tools for everyday life
One of the strengths of CBT is that it teaches skills you can continue to practise long after therapy has finished. These techniques can help you respond to situations more positively and manage future challenges with greater resilience.

While CBT often focuses on present difficulties, it is widely used to treat a range of mental health concerns and can be particularly helpful when other approaches, such as medication alone, have not been effective.