What is CBT?

CBT or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a collaborative therapeutic approach that examines our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It focuses on specific problems and helps to identify how automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions, core beliefs and unhelpful behaviours can negatively affect the way we feel. During CBT sessions the client and therapist work together on both the persons thoughts and behaviours; whether these are helpful and make good sense or if there is another way of looking at and acting in any given situation.

It is a highly structured approach to psychotherapy and fully involves the client in both in and out of session work. CBT can be of benefit in a wide range of emotional problems and can offer the client useful tools that can benefit other aspects of their life. It has been shown to be at least as effective as medication for certain psychiatric disorders and is the talking treatment of choice for a wide range of emotional problems.