Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

County Durham, Darlington, and Bishop Auckland.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is widely understood to be one of the most effective methods for dealing with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder.  CBT has proven as effective as drugs and more effective in the long term.

The Department of Health (DOH) in a joint programme with the Care Service Improvement Partnership (CSIP) are expanding the programme, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) incorporating evidence based psychological therapies such as CBT and CCBT and following the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. The Government is committed to implementing the NICE guidelines and the Health Secretary has announced an expansion plan to provide improved support for people with problems such as anxiety and depression with 20 new areas next year and eventually the whole country.

The theoretical framework of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy views thoughts (cognitions) as induced by stimuli. When our thoughts become influenced by anxiety, our abilities to interpret and evaluate input diminish, rendering us vulnerable to emotional distress and irrational behavioural patterns. Through CBT, we learn that it is not stimuli, no matter how negative or destructive, which controls our emotions or actions, but rather the ways in which we allow such input to impact upon our thoughts.

The aim of CBT is to inculcate an understanding of the ways in which the components of stimuli, thoughts, emotions and behaviours interrelate.  Thus, we become conscious of those thought distortions and behavioural patterns which cause emotional pain and effect our actions.  Ultimately, we explore new methods of evaluating stimuli, learning strategies for changing thought processes and their consequent feelings and behaviours.

In every area of my counselling work, face-to-face, phone and web via Skype or cam, I integrate CBT in order to assist clients to enhance well-being by evolving insights into the inner workings of mind and emotions.

Please return to my Homepage to arrange your counselling appointment.