Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

CBT strategies work on the issues you bring in by identifying and managing negative thought patterns, setting realistic goals, monitoring progress, and learning and practising positive coping skills.

Part of CBT is education: learning to tell the difference between thoughts, feelings, physical responses and behaviours, and seeing how much your perceptions, assumptions and beliefs shape each of them.

Sessions are collaborative and focused. You and your clinician choose what to work on, look closely at a recent situation, and pull apart what happened, what you told yourself about it, and what you did next.

You will usually leave with something to try before the next session, like a thought record or a small experiment. That is where a lot of the change happens.

CBT is one of the most widely used approaches in counselling, and most of our clinicians draw on it. It pairs well with other approaches, including DBT and trauma-focused work.

If you like structure, want practical tools, and are willing to practise between sessions, CBT is a strong place to start.