Why Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

Mental health and emotional problems are extremely common and are the most common reason for visiting the GP.

Numbers though do not describe the misery that goes with these conditions nor the impact on the lives’ of those who are facing these difficulties.

At best these conditions steal time and at worst wreck lives.

So why does CBT offer a solution?

Informed by working in mental health for 25 years as a therapist, a university lecturer and researcher, these three observations about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will hopefully answer that question.

Effective: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is based on evidence of  what works. As a treatment it has been subject to rigorous applied  research and major research reviews over decades and has been  shown to be the most effective treatment for a range of common  psychological and emotional difficulties. For these reasons it is the   treatment of choice approved by the government’s official health  watchdog the  National Institute of Clinical Health Excellence (NICE).

It is also cost effective with treatment usually ranging between 8 and 16 sessions. If a therapist suggests that treatment needs to be long term then you should ask two questions. Show me the research evidence and also in whose interests is it for therapy to be long term?  After all you are paying.

Collaboration: CBT works on the basis that the client is the expert. After all it is the client who knows their own problems better than anyone.

In CBT, the therapist and the client will attempt together to map out  in     detail what exactly is happening within a CBT framework, which links  our mood,  thoughts, physiology and our behaviour with our individual  life circumstances. This map (or  formulation) is a tailored made  approach which will detail both the short term and long term  patterns  which lead to and maintain psychological difficulties

By a shared understanding of what is happening to maintain difficulties, goals for therapy can  be agreed and the client and  therapist work out the best route to achieve these goals and secure  long term change and recovery.

In CBT the client is active and much of the therapy take place between  sessions when agreed tasks are practiced.  The pace of this is determined by the client, not the therapist.

Empowerment: CBT is about the client progressively being their  own therapist on the road to recovery and maintaining these skills in  order to secure long term well being. If you want to draw an analogy it  is about giving someone a fishing rod, not a fish to cure their hunger.

 It is why CBT has been shown to be effective not only in the short term  but also in the long term.

Mental disorder and psychological distress is not a sign of weakness.   The fact that clients manage to carry on day after day despite their  difficulties is testimony to their strength. As a therapist I may act as a  guide and support, but it is the client who makes the changes and  achieves the goals of therapy.