Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - CBT

CBT focusses on the link between our Thoughts, Behaviour and Emotions and that when any one of these is out of balance it will negatively affect the others connected to it.

Some simple examples of this could be:

• Situation -  you wake up.  Feeling - sad, lonely, hopeless, depressed. Behaviour - stay in bed all day isolated, switch off your mobile, don't eat. Thoughts - I'm a uselss person, I'm no good to anybody.​

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• Situation - at work and you make a small mistake. Thoughts - My boss will shout at me.  My colleagues will make fun of me.  He will sack me.  Feelings - panic, fear, anxiety sweaty palms.  Behaviour - avoid your colleagues.  Try to cover it up/fix it. Go home early from work.

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• Situation - you have sent several texts over the past hour to your wife and she has not replied.  Thoughts - what have I done?  Why isn't she replying?  How can I fix this?  Behaviour - send more texts.  Call her.  Text some of her friends.  Call and text her some more.  Feelings - fear, panic, sick, frightened, anxious, heart racing, sweaty palms.

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Our thoughts and feelings are automatic.  They are there before we even realise it. Something happens and we respond in an automatic and negative way that tends to be self perpetuating.  The idea behind CBT is that by working in partnership with your therapist he will help you to learn how to identify these negative patterns, seek alternative reasonable healthy patterns and use these to challenge yourself and break the cycle.

CBT can be used effectively in the following areas:

• Depression
• Phobias
• Anxiety
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Post Natal Depression