What is cognitive behaviour therapy?

CBT is a treatment approach that is based on the concept that the way we think effects the way we feel and subsequently the way we behave in certain situations. People can interpret the same life event very differently, leading to many and varied emotional and behavioural consequences. Some of these consequences can be helpful and some not so helpful in our day to day lives.

How does CBT work?

CBT is about learning specific strategies to think more realistically about life. CBT works on the principle that negative, unhelpful beliefs need to be identified and then tested to determine whether they are accurate, realistic and helpful. In most cases, the thoughts are actually irrational. These help to maintain an unhelpful belief system, leading to distress and increased difficulty coping in situations. CBT helps you to unlearn the problematic ways of thinking.