Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT for short) is a relatively short-term and problem-focused treatment that teaches clients to be more aware of how thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs are related to emotional distress and behaviour. CBT targets day to day issues and provides practical strategies to make thoughts work for us rather than against us. Many of the thoughts running through our minds at any given moment are automatic and often negative and unhelpful. This can lead to emotional suffering and self-defeating behaviours. CBT asks us to practice being more mindful of our thoughts, identifying the ones that cause suffering or undermine our functioning. We learn to slow down and step back from automatic thoughts (especially racing thoughts), then use strategies to formulate and practice focusing on more positive and helpful thoughts. The therapist facilitates this practice and helps address any problems, blocks, or issues that arise.

There are special strategies to address issues from depression and anxiety to obsessive-compulsive disorder and various other mental health issues like panic disorder, phobias, and bipolar disorder. CBT works at the level of individual thoughts, thinking styles, and deep-set belief systems (also called “schemas”).

One of the most important elements of CBT is homework between sessions. Correcting unhelpful thought patterns and thinking styles does not happen overnight, and the effort of the client practicing the techniques is a core part of building desired change.