WHAT IS CBT??
Great question... let me explain
CBT is a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapies. The cognitive part looks at how thoughts can create feelings, and the behavioural part focuses on how behaviour influences thoughts and feelings.
What can happen is that as a result of a situation (or an accumulation of situations) we can develop bad habits in terms of how we think and how we behave. A person might find that they experience thoughts where they jump to conclusions, overestimate danger, criticise themselves etc etc, and before they know it, it becomes a habit to think like that. Understandably this has an impact on how they feel, and depending on the thoughts they might feel anxious, angry, ashamed, guilty or sad.
Because we're all human and absolutely do not like to feel uncomfortable, a person might then do something to feel better ASAP. Problem is, sometimes a person might opt for a behaviour that is a quick fix, such as avoidance, seeking reassurance, checking things repeatedly or escaping a situation. In the short term this helps, but in the long term it can actually mean that the problem continues and can even get worse (as these behaviours can also become habit, and also it might not always be possible to rely on the behaviours in every situation)
CBT has shown to be effective for a wide range of problems. The initial stages of therapy are spent identifying and understanding the problem in terms of the relationship between negative and unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviour. After developing an idea as to what has caused and is maintaining the problem, time is then spent identifying aims and goals for therapy. This is really important, as it helps to make sure that you get the most out of your sessions.
The aim of therapy is to empower you to understand your problem and essentially, become your own therapist. CBT focuses on developing specific psychological and practical skills aimed at enabling you to tackle your problems head on. CBT is a team effort involving you and your therapist, which is particularly useful as by the time you’ve finished your course of treatment you’ll be well practiced in managing your own well-being for the future... sounds pretty good right?!
Although I obviously think CBT is amazing...it is absolutely not a 'one size fits all' approach, and there are other types of therapy out there for particular problems. If you're unsure of whether CBT is right for you, fire off a message and I will be very happy to advise. If CBT isn't right for you I am very happy to guide you in the direction of an appropriate alternative