CBT can help you change how you think (that's cognitive) and how you act (that's behaviour). These changes can help you feel better, unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on the (here and now) problem difficulties. Instead of focusing on the causes of your distress or symptoms of the past, CBT looks for ways to improve your state of mind now.
CBT can help you make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts. This makes it easier to see how these parts are connected and how they affect you.
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What Does CBT Involve?
CBT can be done individually or with a group of people. There are also self help computer programmes available.
Unlike some short-term solution focused therapies CBT can take from between 5 and 20 sessions.
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In the first 2-4 sessions, the Therapist will check that you can use this sort of treatment and will check that you feel comfortable with it. |
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The Therapist will also ask you questions about your past life and background. Although CBT concentrates on the here and now, at times you may need to talk about the past to understand how it is affecting you now. |
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You decide what you want to deal with in the short, medium and long term. |
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You and the Therapist will usually start by agreeing on what to discuss that day. |
With the Therapist, you break each problem down into it's separate parts. To help this process, your Therapist may ask you to keep a diary. This will help you to identify your individual patterns of thoughts, emotions, bodily feelings and actions.
Although the origins of CBT are over 40 years old it has proven to be a choice of therapeutic treatment which is being widely used in Mental Health Care and within the NHS.
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