Welcome to my first blog, providing you with five things you need to know about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
1. CBT is an evidence-based treatment
CBT has been extensively researched using gold-standard randomised control trials. This research has shown CBT to be effective for many difficulties, including depression and anxiety disorders. CBT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is an independent body which gives advice and guidance to England and Wales to improve health and social care, to treat anxiety and depression. Research is ongoing, and CBT is ever evolving to ensure that CBT therapists like myself are providing the best quality care and treatment available.
2. CBT Therapists have extensive and ongoing training
In order to be accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies https://babcp.com/, practitioners are required to have extensive training, knowledge and experience in mental health and then be fully trained in CBT. One way of doing this, is to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I completed mine at Canterbury Christchurch University. Trainees have to demonstrate competence in treating depression and anxiety disorders through a variety of methods, including assessed practice. In order to stay accredited, CBT therapists must continue to develop and enhance their knowledge by completing continuous professional development and having their clinical work supervised by experienced CBT therapists.
3. CBT is a talking therapy that helps you understand and change your thoughts, feelings and behaviours
During CBT, your therapist will help you to understand how your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours are all connected, and that by changing one, you can change the others. When we struggle with feelings of depression or anxiety, we can sometimes think and behave in ways that make us feel worse. CBT helps us to identify and change this, through making achievable goals, and developing skills and techniques to overcome unhelpful patterns. The treatment will always be based upon what the evidence base tells us is effective for your difficulty, alongside your goals, so that it is tailed to you as a unique individual.
Please find a link to the BABCP page, including a video on CBT here: https://babcp.com/What-is-CBT
4. CBT can help with a range of difficulties, including:
Anxiety Disorders, including panic attacks
Worry or Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Panic Disorder
Phobias
Emetophobia (fear of vomit)
Agoraphobia
Social anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Health anxiety
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Depression
Stress
Long-term physical health problems, such as chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
You don’t have to know which, if any, of these difficulties you are experiencing in order for CBT to work for you. In fact, most of the people I see don’t know. You may just notice symptoms of anxiety and/or depression are causing difficulties for you. These symptoms may include:
- Feeling low, down or hopeless
- Feeling anxious, nervous or on edge
- Difficulty with concentration
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Restlessness or difficulty relaxing
- Difficulties with sleep and energy levels
- Little interest or pleasure in things
- Avoiding things
- Not being able to stop worrying
- Irritability
If you are noticing that these things are impacting upon your day-to-day life, perhaps affecting work, socialising, family, and stopping you enjoying life, then CBT may be for you.
5. CBT empowers you to make the change you want in your life
CBT is a joint effort between you and your therapist. CBT is not something that is “done to you”, it is something that is done in collaboration with you. Your therapist will empower you learn ways of managing your difficulties so that you can do and be who you want to be. The changes made will be because of your hard work and determination, and your therapist will be there to guide and support you. Once you have learned what works for you, you will have the skills for the rest of your life. Before therapy finishes, your therapist will help you devise a plan for the future that includes how you can use your new skills in times of difficulty or stress, and what you can do if you find yourself overwhelmed again.
If you’d like to know more about me and how I work, please see my about me page here:
https://empoweryoupsychologicalservices.co.uk/team-member/emily-cheney/
And if you’d like to book for therapy with me, starting with an up to 90-minute assessment session, please click here: https://empoweryoupsychologicalservices.janeapp.co.uk/
Emily Cheney
Co-founder and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
BSc (Hons), PGCert, PGDip
BABCP member: 248275
EmPower You Psychological Services