A widely used and effective type of therapy is cognitive behavioural therapy, often shortened to CBT.

CBT helps people to manage a variety of mental health conditions through addressing unhelpful patterns of thought and behaviours.

How does CBT work?

CBT is a talking therapy.

This means you spend time talking to your therapist, one on one, who will help you to identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours.

It focuses on the connections between your thoughts, emotions and actions – developing healthier and more positive ways of thinking, and in how you respond to challenges.

Typically, when going through CBT, you will consider a variety of the following:

Behavioural strategies – this includes more practical techniques to encourage positive actions, for example exposure to a cause of anxiety to address a problem head on
Challenging and restructuring thoughts – a guided technique where your therapist will help you question the accuracy of your thoughts and look to replace negative and unhelpful thoughts with a more balances perspective
Goal-oriented approach – a more short term technique with structured sessions to achieve specific defined therapeutic goals
Identifying negative thought patterns – helping you to recognise negative and unhelpful thoughts which might cause you mental distress
Skill development – learning coping mechanisms such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques, as well as problem-solving strategies

What conditions does CBT help?

CBT can address a number of different mental health issues, such as (but not exclusively):

anxiety
bi-polar disorder
depression (including post-natal depression)
eating disorders (including anorexia and bulimia)
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
personality disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

CBT is also effective in treating a number of other conditions, such as insomnia and other sleep problems, alcohol and drug abuse, long-term pain, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and more…

For more information, make an appointment and find out more.