What Is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that examines the way you think (cognition) in relation to the way you behave. Counselling with CBT involves talking about how you think about yourself and others, your views on the world and how this affects your thoughts and feelings, which in turn affects how you behave. CBT concentrates on the ‘here and now’, what is observable. There is not much focus on the subconscious or of past experiences. This can help you to feel better by changing the way you think and to be aware of negative thought patterns that may have been around for a long time. CBT theory suggests that it is not an event that causes trauma but rather the meaning you give to it.
How does CBT work
CBT can help to examine behaviour by breaking down problems into smaller parts, usually consisting of;
A difficult situation, followed by
- Thoughts
- Emotions
- Physical feelings
- Behaviour/Actions
All of these parts can affect the others and by identifying the unhelpful ways of reacting, these can be modified and changed.
When Can CBT Help
CBT is used widely in NHS settings and is seen as a structured short term fix for many different types of issues. These include anxiety, depression, phobias, mood disorders, addictions, stress and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD). CBT can also help with low self esteem and confidence building.
CBT is not effective for everyone, the individual must be prepared to examine themselves in a coach-pupil relationship and there will usually be ‘homework’ involved. However CBT can work as well as anti-depressants in many cases.
Here at Davenport Counselling, we believe that in certain circumstances, the ‘why’ may not be as important as the ‘how’ to make the changes necessary to move forward with a happy, healthy life.
So if you are feeling like you can not cope, feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to stop worrying, we can help you work to develop coping strategies so that you can manage your current stress and any future issues which may arise.
If you recognise any of the above issues and are ready to make the change, call us for an appointment, we’re here to help.