Cognitive Behaviour Psychotherapy (CBT) is a talking therapy. It has been proven to help treat a wide range of emotional and health conditions in adults, young people and children. CBT looks at how we think and feel about situations, and how this affects our actions. In turn our actions can affect how we think and feel.

The therapist and client work collaboratively to uncover insight into the clients thinking and behaviours as well as understand the perceptions of these.

 

CBT is based on the concept of focusing on the links between thoughts, feelings, physiology and behaviours, seeing how these consequently interconnect and affect each other. For example, your thoughts about a certain situation can often affect how you feel, both physically and emotionally, as well as how you act in response. CBT works to help you make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts, aiming to stop negative cycles and thought patterns, using a variety of different strategies to identify and overcome these. Thus, allowing you to improve your day to day life and state of mind to the point where you can achieve this on your own and tackle problems without the help of a therapist.

 

There is a great deal of evidence to show that CBT works effectively. This research has been carefully reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE provides independent, evidence-based guidance for the NHS on the most effective ways to treat disease and ill health. CBT is recommended by NICE for the treatment of mental health disorders.

 

NICE recommends CBT in the treatment of the following conditions:

 

Anxiety disorders (including panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder)

Depression

Panic Attacks

Social anxieties

Phobias

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Schizophrenia and Psychosis

Bipolar Disorder

Chronic fatigue

Chronic pain 

Physical symptoms without a medical diagnosis

Eating disorders

Body dysmorphia

Anxiety disorders in children

Behavioural difficulties in children