Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help you make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts that focus on your situation, thoughts, physical reactions, feelings and behaviour. These reactions are all interconnected and any shift in one affects the other. CBT is seen as a very effective short-term treatment to address immediate and presenting issues. CBT differs from other therapies because it is:

• Pragmatic– it helps identify specific problems and tries to solve them.
• Highly structured – rather than talking freely about your life, you and your therapist discuss specific problems and set goals for you to achieve.
• Focused on current problems – it’s mainly concerned with how you think and act now rather than attempting to resolve past issues.
• Collaborative – your therapist won’t tell you what to do. They’ll work with you to find solutions to your current difficulties.

CBT can involve homework, journaling and detailed strategies to effectively treat behavioural and interpersonal problems such as anxiety, depression and relationships. The real strength of CBT is that the skills and methods developed in the sessions can be used in the future without the help of the coach. This supports and increases autonomy for the individual and their improved well-being.

For further information about CBT, we recommend the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-cbt/