COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

The way we think determines both how we feel and how we behave.
The way we think about ourselves, other people and our place in the world has a direct influence on our emotional state and our behaviour.
Consequently by changing the way we think we can positively influence our mood and how we respond to situations.
This is the premise behind Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) which has become the most effective psychological treatment for a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems.

WHAT IS CBT FOR?

CBT can be effective in helping people suffering from: Depression, Loss, Grief, Perfectionism, Anxiety, (Generalised Anxiety, Social Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder etc.), Panic Attacks, Phobias, Low Self-Esteem, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Trauma, Anger Problems and Stress.

HOW DOES CBT WORK?

CBT can help you make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts.
This makes it clearer to see how they are all connected and how they affect you.

THESE PARTS ARE:
• A situation – a problem, event or difficult situation
• Thoughts
• Emotions
• Physical Feelings
• Actions/Behaviours.

Each of these areas can affect the others. How you think about a problem can affect how you feel physically and emotionally. It can also alter what you do about it.
CBT helps to identify vicious cycles that develop between these areas.
When you see the parts of the sequence clearly, it is easier to change them, therefore changing how you feel.

Therefore, the fundamental underpinnings of CBT are:
Emotional Disorders arise from an individual's interpretation of events.
The way in which individuals behave in relation to how they interpret events plays an important role in the maintenance of their problem.

Useful CBT Web Links:
British Association for Behavioural and
Cognitive Psychotherapies www.babcp.com
Calipso website www.calipso.co.uk
Beating the Blues www.ultrasis.com/products/product.jsp?product_id=1

Free online CBT Resources
Mood Gym: www.moodgym.anu.edu.au