What happens in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT therapy when conducted in a face to face situation with a therapist will include the following:

• The development of a therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client

• A formal assessment of your problem, its level and intensity, will lead to a formulation which the therapist will conduct with you.

• The outcome of this formulation will identify what your goals for intervention are, and the outcome you hope to achieve. At this point your therapist with your agreement will identify the number of sessions you will commit to in order to achieve your outcome goals.

• The style of therapy is very focused and will include the recording of your thoughts and some measures of your behaviours

• It is a form of intervention that addresses problems in a direct and targeted way. (an educational approach to psychology)

• It allows the person to self-evaluate their progress

• CBT targets problems in the here and now with much less time devoted to experiences in early life.  It is solution focused

• This therapy combines well with current views about coaching individuals at work

• The focus is collaboration and working jointly on agreed problems

• It is highly structured  but flexible to meet most peoples needs

• It does require some reading and some understanding of ones thoughts and behaviours

• It requires the keeping of some thoughts records and writing down thoughts in a diary. Click Here

• It brings thoughts and beliefs into the current focus of attention

• It asks the person to re-evaluate their thinking patterns

The next few sessions in therapy will include an explanation and introduction to CBT to help you have a clear understanding of CBT. (This is similar to downloads that are offered on this website).