Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Our thoughts have an incredible amount of influence behind our actions and feelings, so let’s make sure they actually reflect what’s happening to us.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

CBT looks at our thoughts, emotions, physical reactions, behaviours and environmental circumstances to help us make sense of why we are doing what we are doing (or not doing).

It goes this by changing or alternating our thoughts and actions that reflect the whole situation and not just a small peice of it. It is not meant to put rosy coloured sunglasses on us, but rather to be flexible in our thinking.

This is because our thoughts and actions are heavily influenced by our core beliefs, our past experiences, our assumptions, our behaviours, and our emotions. On the surface there is nothing wrong with that, however, what happens when these don’t reflect what is actually happening in the present moment? What happens when our past beliefs about ourselves and others are mainly negative? What happens when our emotions act as reinforcers to these outdated beliefs? In response, CBT helps us to look at our current experience in rational, balanced manner.

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Why would someone see an CBT practitioner?

One of the best things about CBT is its diversity in who can benefit it from it. I personally believe its because it takes into account the whole person and not just one aspect of them. For example, if someone is feeling anxious because of a big presentation coming up or because of their past trauma, CBT can help. The former example could use better coping stradigies, while the latter example, could use help with their core beliefs.

As a result, anyone experiencing anxiety, depression, anger, grief, and or other emotional distresses can benefit from CBT. Studies show CBT helping a wide range of symptoms. And since CBT has been around for 40 plus years it is one of the most well studied theraputic models around.

What would an CBT therapy session look?

A CBT session can look many different ways depending on what the needs and goals are. However, it usually starts with discussions around what brought the client(s) into counselling. For example, wanting to feel less anxious, less depressed, less angry, and or more joyful.

From here, depending on the goals, the direction of the sessions can look different. However, in general we would want to uncover the thoughts, emotions, behaviours and external factors that are connected to the goals and symptoms.

As mentioned earlier, CBT looks at the whole person and not just one aspect. For example, in a session, we might look at focusing on thoughts and how it shapes their emotions, which in turn influences their actions. Or what actions are they taking shapes their thinking and emotions. Once we have a better understanding we can look at what needs to be changed/altered and or what actions do we need to take on.

How does CBT therapy work?

CBT works by challenging certain thoughts, feelings, and actions and shedding light on how they maybe contributing to the unwanted symptoms (such as a anxiety, anger, shame, and depression). As people, we tend to blindly follow our emotions, thoughts and behaviours while never ever really looking at them. We just assume they are completly factual, true and unbiased and just go with it. However, once we shed a little light on them we can see that they are anything but those things. Especially with symptoms like depression, anxiety and shame etc.

The way we uncover this, is by using technques like "thought records" to uncover alternative and new thoughts

What Can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Help With?

Helps lessen symptoms, such as anxiety and depression
Promotes emotional regulation through identifying unhelpful thoughts and actions
Builds better awareness of our beliefs and assumptions about ourselves and others that cause us suffering
Helps shed light on our actions and behaviours that are keeping unwanted symptoms alive