Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and highly researched forms of psychotherapy globally. It is a practical, goal-oriented approach that helps you understand and change the way you think and act, which in turn changes the way you feel.

CBT is based on a simple but powerful idea: your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are all interconnected.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

How the CBT Works

The CBT illustrates how your interpretation of an event—rather than the event itself—determines your emotional response.

The Situation/Event: A friend doesn't immediately return your text message.

  1. Negative Thought (Cognition): "They are mad at me; I must have done something wrong."

  2. Feeling (Emotion): Anxiety, sadness, or fear.

  3. Behaviour: You send five more texts or completely withdraw from contacting them.

In this cycle, the feeling (anxiety) is caused by the negative thought, not the late reply. CBT intervenes by identifying the automatic thought and providing tools to challenge it, thereby breaking the negative cycle.

Key Goals and Techniques in CBT

CBT is collaborative and structured. It's often referred to as a "here and now" therapy because it focuses primarily on problems and difficulties occurring in the present.

1. Identifying Unhelpful Thinking Patterns

A central goal of CBT is identifying and correcting "cognitive distortions"—common, unhelpful ways of thinking that distort reality. Examples include:

  • All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in black and white (e.g., "If I don't get the job, I'm a total failure.").

  • Catastrophising: Assuming the worst possible outcome will happen (e.g., "I made one mistake at work; I'm going to be fired and lose everything.").

  • Mental Filter: Only paying attention to the bad things and ignoring the good.

2. Behavioural Interventions

CBT doesn't just focus on thoughts; it also encourages practical action. Techniques are used to gradually change avoidance behaviours that maintain problems:

  • Exposure Therapy: Gradually exposing a person to feared situations (used for phobias or anxiety).

  • Activity Scheduling: Planning engaging activities to combat depression and apathy.

3. Cognitive Restructuring

This is the core skill you learn: replacing unhelpful thoughts with balanced, realistic ones. You learn to treat your automatic thoughts as hypotheses to be tested, rather than as facts to be accepted. You assess the evidence supporting the negative thought versus the evidence challenging it.

What is CBT Used For?

CBT is one of the most extensively researched modalities and is highly effective for a wide range of mental health and emotional issues:

  • Anxiety Disorders: Generalised anxiety (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety, and phobias.

  • Depression: Helping clients challenge hopelessness and increase engagement in life.

  • Trauma: Often forms the foundation for more specialised trauma treatments like CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy).

  • Sleep Problems (Insomnia): Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold standard for treating chronic sleep difficulties.

  • Chronic Pain Management: Helping individuals manage the thoughts and behaviours associated with pain and reduced activity.

CBT is effective because it teaches practical, lifetime skills. It empowers you to become your own therapist by providing a toolkit for regulating emotions and challenging negative self-talk long after your sessions have finished.