How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work?

CBT aims to break the link between behaviours and the negative effects they have on mental health.

According to the basic principles of CBT, our feelings and thoughts are inextricably linked to physical symptoms and the actions we take. When some people get caught in a cycle of negative or harmful thoughts, they make inappropriate decisions and exhibit damaging behaviours.

By dismantling big mental health conditions and assessing their various component parts, therapists can address each part individually. The patient is given practical advice and coping mechanisms designed to improve how they feel.

Unlike counselling, CBT sessions focus on the issues facing patients today rather than past events that may have led to chronic mental health difficulties. CBT therapists develop practical ways to address these issues on a day-to-day basis.

What Mental Health Conditions Can Be Treated with CBT?

When CBT was first developed, it was mostly used to treat people with anxiety or depression. In recent years, however, the technique has been adapted to treat a much wider range of mental health conditions, including:

For further information about mental health conditions that we treat please click the link below.

What Can I Expect During a CBT Therapy Session?

The first step to recovery from a mental health condition is to admit you have a problem. And once you've done that, you can genuinely ask for help. That first stage involves an initial consultation with a cognitive behavioural therapist.

If your issues are rooted in the present, you're likely to benefit from CBT. But if you need to address historical issues or traumatic events from the past, you're probably in need of counselling.

Most people benefit from a CBT therapy session once every week for five to 20 weeks. At iGP, the standard CBT session lasts for an hour.

During the first CBT meetings with your therapist, you'll work together in order to break down your issues into their component parts. For some patients, focusing on physical feelings and actions is a good place to start. For others, concentrating on thought processes is more appropriate.

Your therapist will take one action, physical symptom or thought at a time and ascertain if they're leading to unwanted reactions. How does each component part of your mental illness affect you? And are there any causal links involved between actions, thoughts and behaviours?

Once the issues and the links between them have been identified, your CBT therapist will work with you on ways to change them. You'll be asked to put into practice the techniques and changes given to you between sessions. And you'll be asked for feedback on how those changes have affected your state of mind.

Are There Any Disadvantages Associated with CBT?

CBT isn't the right course of action for everyone. An initial consultation with a mental health clinician is essential, as it will determine whether or not the root cause of your condition is related to a past occurrence or issues you're dealing with today.

CBT can deliver great, long-lasting results, but only if the patient is committed to attending sessions and serious about taking the therapist's advice on board.

The main disadvantages of CBT include:

Alternatively, we provide other counselling services that may be more appropriate. Please click the link below to find out more.