Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Understanding How Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviours Connect

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - widely known as CBT - is one of the most extensively researched psychological treatments available. It’s built on a straightforward but powerful idea: the way we think about situations influences how we feel and what we do. By changing unhelpful patterns, we can change how we experience life.

How CBT Works

CBT is a collaborative, structured approach. Together, you and your therapist will:

Identify patterns: Recognising the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that contribute to your difficulties. What goes through your mind in challenging situations? How do those thoughts affect your emotions and actions?

Examine your thinking: Learning to notice automatic thoughts - the quick, often unquestioned interpretations we make about events. Are these thoughts accurate? Are there alternative perspectives?

Test predictions: Using “behavioural experiments” to challenge beliefs by gathering real-world evidence. Often, the things we fear don’t happen - or aren’t as bad as we expect.

Build new patterns: Developing more balanced ways of thinking and more helpful ways of responding to challenges.

What CBT Can Help With

CBT has a strong evidence base for numerous difficulties:

• Anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety, health anxiety, social anxiety)
• Panic attacks and panic disorder
• Phobias
• Depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Sleep problems and insomnia
• Low self-esteem
• Stress and burnout
• Perfectionism
• Chronic pain management

What to Expect in CBT

CBT is typically relatively short-term - often between 8 and 20 sessions, depending on the difficulty being addressed. Sessions usually follow a clear structure:

• Reviewing progress and any homework from the previous week
• Setting an agenda for the session
• Working on specific issues using CBT techniques
• Agreeing on practice between sessions

Homework matters: CBT involves applying what you learn between sessions - keeping thought records, trying new behaviours, or practising techniques. This real-world application is where change happens.

More Than Surface Techniques

While CBT is practical and focused on the present, it can also address deeper patterns. Many people hold “core beliefs” - fundamental assumptions about themselves, others, and the world - that developed early in life and continue to shape their experiences. CBT can help identify and shift these deeper patterns when relevant.

Is CBT Right for You?

CBT suits people who appreciate a structured, practical approach and are willing to engage actively in their therapy. It’s not passive - you’ll be a full participant in understanding and addressing your difficulties.

If you prefer more exploratory, open-ended work, or if your difficulties are primarily relationship-based, other approaches might be more suitable (though they can often be combined with CBT).

Get in touch to discuss whether CBT might help you.