What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
CBT is a talking therapy which aims to change the way we think and act. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and our behaviour are interconnected.
CBT believes that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a negative cycle. It aims to help people deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts (thoughts, feelings, actions).
It helps to identify ways to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and to practice these outside of sessions. CBT focuses on current issues, rather than delving into the past.
When is CBT used?
CBT can help with a range of mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression or low mood, trauma, sleeping difficulties and much more. However, CBT is not only used for mental health conditions, it can also help individuals to cope with the challenges of living with long term health conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, ME/CFS, Pain Management, COPD and Diabetes.
Example:
Thoughts: “Nobody understands what I’m going through”
Emotions: Frustrated, anxious, lonely, upset
Behaviour: Avoids spending time with family and friends
Physical Reactions: Pounding heart, sweaty hands, feeling nauseous
CBT helps by break challenging thoughts and situations down into smaller, more manageable chunks. This allows us to start challenging out thoughts and making positive changes to our behaviour.