COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY EXPLAINED
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT for short, aims to assist you to change the way you THINK, FEEL & BEHAVE.
It is based on the premise that it is the way people think that impacts how they feel (emotionally & physically) & behave. Often people with problems think in unhelpful ways & by changing these unhelpful thinking styles, feelings & behaviours are also modified.
The environment (i.e., how others behave toward you), is also important & of course contributes to what you think, feel & do. However, CBT can help you even if your environment can’t be changed by changing unhelpful thinking & behaviours.
Research shows CBT works well for many different conditions in particular people treated for anxiety & depression have been shown to stay well for longer, & relapse less often, when having received CBT
WHAT TO EXPECT
- CBT is a short-term therapy, typically 10-15 sessions, but can be longer or shorter depending on the complexity of the problem & how quickly you progress
- CBT involves you collecting ‘data’ & completing ‘homework’ tasks outside of sessions (e.g., recording the situations that elicit your difficulties, what you were thinking & the consequent feeling & behaviours)
- CBT involves you practising skills in between sessions. Research shows that those who complete ‘homework’ have significantly better outcomes than those who don’t
WHAT CBT IS NOT
While CBT recognises you have been shaped by your past; it is not a therapy that dwells on events in your past like other therapies.
It is not ‘lying on a couch’ & talking freely type of therapy. It is practical, structured, focus on the ‘here & now’ and on skill acquisition.
YOU FEEL THE WAY YOU THINK! You can live a more happy & fulfilling life if you are thinking in more helpful & healthy ways
