Overview

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is a talking treatment, which helps you to recognise problems and overcome emotional difficulties. It is a practical treatment, which focuses on specific problem-solving techniques.

Emotional difficulties can arise from self-destructive ways of feeling, thinking and behaving. You may misinterpret situations or symptoms in a negative manner. This can lower your mood and in turn lead to further negative thoughts and a worsening of your situation. The therapist helps you to identify connections between your thoughts, how your thoughts affect you and how you behave. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) gives you the opportunity to talk about issues with your therapist.

It helps you to gain a better understanding of yourself, and having gained this understanding, it can help you lead a more positive and constructive way of life. CBT helps people to develop practical skills which can help them to go on to explore what lies at the root of their feelings and behaviour.

History

CBT is a psychological treatment. So it’s historical beginnings belong with psychology and the growth of the therapy within psychological research.

Benefits

The treatment is offered to people who are asking for a practical method of treatment for a specific emotional difficulty. People often prefer such talking treatments to the alternative of prescribed medication. A combination of talking treatment and medication is the most effective solution for some people.

You should be willing to take an active part in your treatment. Your therapist may give you tasks to do between sessions. They may ask you to keep a diary of how you are feeling. You may be asked to complete specific tasks in relation to how you deal with particular situations and assessments on how the treatment is going.

Procedure

The treatment is usually brief and involves you seeing a therapist for somewhere between 6 and 20 sessions. Each session usually lasts around 1 hour.

The treatment certainly does work, but not for everyone. No-one is saying that it is easy, or that it is 100% effective; however results are positive. CBT may not always be able to address the underlying cause behind a problem, but it may be useful in helping you to develop practical skills, which can help you to manage your symptoms.

CBT is usually practised by clinical psychologists within the NHS. Your GP may be able to refer you to a psychologist who practices CBT, although this service is not available everywhere. The other option, if you can afford it, is to see a private therapist. The British Psychological Society produces a register and directory of chartered psychologists.

Source of information: www.mind.org.uk