Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on the way people think (cognitions) and act in order to help them overcome their emotional and behavioural problems.

 

CBT is a “Here and Now” approach to understanding and overcoming psychological problems.

CBT places special emphasis on ‘how you think’ and ‘what you believe’ about your world.

How you think and what you believe create powerful effects on your emotional status.

 

 

 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy helps you to understand this interaction and enable you to make changes in how you think, believe, feel and behave.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are anxious or depressed, then your cognition (thinking) will focus on excessive worrying.   If you are anxious, you will believe that the worst will happen, and think and believe that your anxiety symptoms are proof of physical illness. If you are depressed, you will believe that you are wholly bad, or have done something irrevocably wrong.

 

Cognitive therapy

Cognitive therapy works by discovering the thinking and belief errors which trigger, or fuel, certain problems and it replaces them with new more helpful ones; ones that fit perfectly and result in gaining control where there was no control.

 

I will help you discover and understand your current thought and belief patterns. In particular, we will identify any harmful, unhelpful, and false ideas, beliefs or thoughts that can trigger your behaviours and feelings. The aim is then to change your ways of thinking to avoid these ideas.  And, to help your thought patterns to be more realistic and helpful.

 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

This therapy emphasis is on changing any behaviour that is harmful or not helpful.   Various techniques are used.   For example, a common unhelpful behaviour is to avoid situations that can make you anxious. In some people with phobias the avoidance can become extreme and affect day-to-day life.   In this situation it is likely that I will use a type of behavioural therapy called exposure therapy in combination with Emotional Freedom Technique (see other pages of my website for information on EFT).

 

Using the combination of CBT and EFT,  you will be gradually exposed more and more to the feared situation until it no longer has a hold on you.

CBT has been shown in clinical trials to help ease symptoms of various problems.

For example, research studies have shown that a course of CBT is just as likely to be effective as medication in treating depression and certain anxiety disorders.

There may be long-term benefits of CBT, as the techniques to combat these problems can be used for the rest of your life to help to keep symptoms away.

 click here to contact Bev or call her on 0781 649 9503