Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBP/CBT) is a relatively short-term, focused psychotherapy for a wide range of psychological problems including depression; anxiety; worry; anger; panic; eating problems; Post Traumatic Stress and personality problems.

The ideas behind it are, that it is not so much the events in our lives, which upset us but what we believe about those events which causes difficulties for us. The way we think about things may generate our emotional responses to them or equally the way we feel about things can affect the way we think about them. Either may result in behaviour that is unhelpful or that actually maintains our problems. For example:

The event – a friend passes me in the street without acknowledging me

The focus of therapy is on how you are thinking, behaving, and communicating now, rather than on your early childhood experiences. CBP/CBT has a strong, scientific, evidence base supporting its claims for success and is included in the NICE guidelines for many psychological conditions.

CBP/CBT helps people to identify and change unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving, which will ultimately affect the way they feel. This is undertaken within a collaborative and respectful therapeutic relationship. CBP/CBT also helps people to learn more effective ways of coping, that help them maintain symptom relief and prevent relapse in the future. It generally focuses on ‘here and now’ experiences, although it may include identifying how past experiences might have influenced the development current problems. Psychotherapy is individually tailored to the needs of each particular client and usually incorporates talking, thinking and behavioural components. Further information on CBP/CBT can be found at www.babcp.com, www.rpsych.ac.uk and www.rcpsych.ac.uk/crtu.

Please take a look at our qualified therapist: Margot Levinson