Cognitive behaviour therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy or  CBT is a problem focused, relatively short term therapy that is based on the theory that the way we think is a strong determinant of the way we feel & act.  It suggests that negative thought patterns contribute to the experience of distressing emotional states such as depression, anxiety, anger, guilt & shame, which in turn can lead to maladaptive & unhelpful behaviours.  Overtime these negative thought patterns & maladaptive behaviours tend to become automatic & habitual, making them difficult to change.

CBT therefore aims to help you to :
        

• Understand the causal relationship between the way you think, feel & act
• Identify negative thought patterns
• Identify possible errors or mistakes in the way you are thinking
• Evaluate & "reality test" your thoughts
• Generate a more realistic & balanced point of view
• Generate more helpful behaviors
• Test out the validity of your thoughts through behavioural experiments

 
Further information on CBT