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Cognitive behavioural therapyPublished by BUPA's health information team, healthinfo@bupa.com, November 2007. This factsheet is for people who would like information about cognitive behavioural therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a short-term psychological treatment. CBT helps to change the way you think, feel and behave. CBT is particularly suitable for specific problems such as phobias, panic attacks, eating disorders and depression.
What is CBT?CBT is a combination of two types of therapy:
CBT is based on the belief that most unhealthy ways of thinking and behaving have been learned over a long period of time. Using a set of structured techniques, a CBT therapist aims to identify how you are thinking and how this can cause problematic feelings and behaviour. You will then learn to change this way of thinking. This will help you react more positively, which will boost your self-esteem and confidence. For example, negative thoughts usually lead to upsetting or angry feelings, which can then affect your mood and your behaviour. If you are unable to counter such thoughts with a more positive view, a negative spiral starts and your perceptions of a situation can become distorted. CBT encourages you to challenge beliefs about yourself and your abilities so that you achieve a more realistic view of the situation. How does CBT work?It helps you challenge your negative beliefs and to think about times when you have been successful or to consider what happens to other people in similar situations. Once you are thinking more realistically, you are encouraged to imagine how you would go about confronting a feared situation. You will then be gradually exposed to real life situations. The aim of CBT is to provide you with a timescale for overcoming a problem and to give you the insight and skills to improve your quality of life. You will then be able to cope and progress on your own once therapy is finished. What problems can CBT help?CBT can help people who have:
Where can I find a therapist?A number of health professionals use CBT in their treatment, including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and social workers. Your GP will be able to give you information about accessing services. Practitioners vary in skill, training and experience. The British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) hold registers of accredited practitioners. You can contact the BABCP by telephone or search their website for a list of therapists in your area. Please see the Further information section for contact details. Some mental health teams and GP surgeries will have access to computer-based CBT programmes, some of which are available free online. Trying these may help you decide if you would like to see a therapist. You can also try to work through computer-based CBT programmes or CBT books on your own. Ask your GP for more information. Your local library may have CBT books or CD-ROMS available to loan. What will happen during a treatment session?At a consultationThe success of CBT depends on your active participation in the whole process, so there is an initial consultation which enables you to decide whether you want to go ahead with the therapy. It also enables the therapist to talk to you and decide if this type of therapy will be useful. At this session, you and your therapist will work together to identify patterns of thought and behaviour which are causing you problems. You and your therapist will then plan a structured way forward with agreed practical objectives. This information helps plan future sessions, including the treatment aims and tasks. Further sessions involve discussing agreed topics in a practical way, focusing on the problems you are facing and how to solve them. A key part of the treatment is the homework assignments you will chose with your therapist. These may include reading material or specific tasks. The assignments will give you the opportunity to test out and practice techniques you will have learned, or to expose yourself gradually to feared situations. Common CBT techniques you may experience during your treatment include challenging irrational beliefs, replacing them with alternative ones, stopping unhelpful thoughts, gradual exposure to situations, assertiveness and social skills training. How many sessions will I need?CBT is a short-term treatment which typically lasts for 10 to 15 individual, weekly sessions but you may need less or more sessions than this. The number of sessions will depend on the type of problem and your commitment. Each session usually lasts for about an hour. Is CBT effective?CBT is not for everyone and only helps people with certain conditions. Clinical trials suggest that CBT has been successful in addressing various mental health problems. It has been shown, in the short-term, to be as effective as medication for the treatment of many mild depressive and anxiety disorders. It's also possible that the long-term effects of CBT will continue to protect you from further illness. People who have finished taking medication may be at greater risk of their symptoms returning (relapsing) than people who have undertaken a course of CBT, and who have learned principles and strategies to sustain their recovery. Deciding on treatmentTreatment can be challenging and you must want to actively change your thoughts and behaviour for it to be successful. Further information
Sources
Related topics
This information was published by BUPA's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Dr Adrian Winbow MB, FRCPysch, DPM, Consultant Psychiatrist, Cygnet Hospital; and by BUPA doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional. Publication date: November 2007. Expected review date November: 2009.
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