What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a talking therapy and an evidence based approach to treatment. It is NICE recommended in the UK and is designed to be a short to medium term approach to treatment. Research shows that CBT is the most effective form of treatment for those coping with depression and anxiety. It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but has also been shown to be effective in treating other mental and physical health conditions.
How does CBT work?
CBT posits that our thoughts, feelings, behaviour and physical sensations are interconnected. This is referred to as the “hot cross bun model” or basic formulation in CBT. The way we think, influences how we feel and behave. CBT refers to a vicious cycle that occurs when we think in negative ways, which then impacts on our emotions and behaviours in a negative way. CBT also posits that it isn’t situations per se, but rather our interpretations of specific situations that get us trapped in these vicious cycles of thinking, feeling and behaviour.
In summary, CBT aim to identify and change faulty patterns of thinking and behaviour that serve to maintain client difficuties. It is a structured model of therapy that is designed to be more self-help, particularly once formal therapy has ended. It is also more here and now focused in comparison to other approaches, such as Psychodynamic which focusses on the impact of early experiences on current difficulties. In saying this, CBT does not ignore past experiences, but rather focusses on the here and now and is more goal oriented with a focus on improving current symptoms. Out of session tasks are agreed and set with the client so that self-awareness can continue to develop and strategies and techniques, such as thought challenging for example can be implemented on a day to day basis.
What does CBT treat?
CBT has been shown to be effective in treating a number of mental health conditions such as depression, all types of anxiety such as panic disorder, GAD, OCD, bipolar disorder, phobias, PTSD, eating disorders, and other related problems such as insomnia, substance misuse, and physical concerns such as chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, IBS.
What to expect from CBT
At the initial session, the therapist will undertake a detailed assessment of client problems and what has brought them into therapy. A detailed history is taken and goals of therapy discussed. After the assessment, the therapist will be able to assess whether the client is suitable for CBT, which will be discussed and explained. After the assessment for suitability of CBT as a modality, one can expect to undergo anything between 5 and 36 sessions of therapy (depending on NICE guidelines and limitations of services if this is an issue). Private Medical Insurers will usually approve the NICE recommended number of sessions.
It is important to note that CBT isn’t for everyone and therefore will not have the same efficacy. It is important to assess whether a client would benefit from this type of approach, despite it being and evidence based approach and NICE recommended