Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

What Is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a practical, goal-focused type of therapy that helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you’ve ever noticed yourself caught in a cycle of negative thinking that leads to feeling worse and acting in ways that don’t help, CBT offers tools to break that cycle.

In CBT, we work together to identify unhelpful patterns—like thoughts that say “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never get through this”—and gently challenge them. You will learn how to reframe those thoughts in a more balanced and helpful way. CBT also includes learning skills like planning small steps, managing worry, or doing activities that boost your mood.

This approach is useful for many issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem. It is often structured and short-term, with clear goals and practical tools you can continue using long after therapy ends.

Key Principles

  • Cognitive restructuring: Recognising and challenging unhelpful thoughts

  • Behavioural experiments: Testing new behaviours in real-life scenarios

  • Skill-building: Developing coping strategies, such as assertiveness

Who Is CBT For?

  • Anxiety disorders (panic, social anxiety, phobias)

  • Depression

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

  • Stress management

  • Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

How It Works

  • Identify unhelpful thoughts (e.g. “I always fail”)

  • Challenge those thoughts with evidence (“Actually, I’ve succeeded many times before”)

  • Experiment with new behaviours (e.g. communicating boundaries, breaking tasks into smaller steps)

  • Track results and refine strategies

Benefits

  • Structured and goal-oriented

  • Effective short-term therapy - typically 8–20 sessions (the CBT approach can also be used long-term)

  • Helps you to develop lifelong self-help tools

What to Expect

We’ll talk, reflect, and try out new ways of thinking and responding - both in sessions and through simple tasks in between. CBT often includes tasks to complete outside the session, such as keeping thought records or planning activity schedules, which help you apply what you’re learning to real life. These are not tests or chores - they’re tools to help you better understand your patterns and make small, meaningful changes. Therapy is a collaborative process, where we work as a team. Sessions are focused and practical, with clear goals and regular check-ins to track your progress.