Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in London
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Our Psychology Team offers Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in London. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (known as CBT) is a second wave psychotherapeutic approach that focuses on solving current challenges, and allowing clients to modify dysfunctional thinking and behaviour. CBT is a type of psychotherapy in which unwanted behaviour patterns or mood disorders are treated by altering negative thought patterns. It modifies dysfunctional emotions, destructive behaviours, and thoughts to change the way the patient feels. It is a solution-based therapy and has a practical approach to problem-solving.
How does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) work?
The CBT modality is based on the cognitive model: focusing on the way an individual perceives a situation and enables clients to change negative thinking. This therapeutic modality will work to improve the mood and functioning of the client. The central idea is that thoughts and perceptions influence behaviour, and distort a person’s perception of reality. CBT identifies these thoughts; checks if they represent reality, and if not, try to help the patient overcome them. The primary goal of CBT is to empower the client and enable them to replace negative thoughts and explore alternative perceptions of situations.
The Key principles of CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on an individual’s perception of the relationship between beliefs, thoughts, and feelings. A CBT Therapist believes that by changing negative thinking, we can directly influence our emotions and behaviour. This process has been coined as cognitive restructuring.
What to expect from seeing a CBT Therapist in London?
- With your Therapist, you will work together as partners and examine areas in your life that you would like to improve.
- During your CBT sessions you will develop skills and strategies that will empower you to change your approach to challenges and improve your ability to solve problems and resolve conflict.
- You will practise techniques, in the office, with your therapist and on your own between sessions. You may be asked to practise techniques in the form of homework. Homework will be practical exercises, reading, or writing assignments.
- Techniques commonly used are Journaling, Mindfulness, Relaxation, Challenging beliefs, and Exercises to help bring awareness to emotional and behavioural patterns.
- You will engage in a partnership with your therapist that will help you to remain diligent and focused on implementing positive self-talk and replace negative thinking and behaviours.
- Your sessions will occur one time per week and last approximately 50 minutes.
How can Cognitive Behavioural Therapy help?
CBT is an Evidenced Based practise and is highly effective in the treatment of Depression and Anxiety disorders, Anger management issues, and mood issues.What people don't realise is that our emotions are tied so tightly with our thoughts. CBT helps a person to separate emotions from thoughts, and therefore hopefully look at the situation differently. Research shows that this technique is not only an effective treatment for depression and panic disorder but for many other difficulties, including eating disorders, binge drinking and addictions, insomnia and sleep disorders, social skills deficits, and others. It is often used independently or in combination with other therapies and drug treatments to successfully treat patients.
How long does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy last for?
CBT is a short-term intervention, therefore individuals must be willing to collaborate with their therapist for treatment to be effective in the long term. The course of treatment usually lasts for between 6 and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 50 minutes.
Why is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy so popular?
CBT is popular because it works on a wide range of mental health issues. It can treat various problems such as sleeping difficulties, relationship problems, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, etc. Patients can make these strategies a part of their daily lives. Although it requires continuous practice, it typically takes fewer sessions than other methods and is therefore preferred by many clients.
What is the Evidence for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
CBT is one of the most commonly used therapies today. The reason behind this is that it is research-based and quite effective in treating depression and anxiety, and these are the most common mental health issues people face. CBT was initially made for research purposes, so there is more evidence for its effectiveness, as it is easier to research than other modalities.
Core beliefs in CBT
A major component of CBT is challenging negative schemas and beliefs. Schemas are moderately established cognitive structures containing a person’s fundamental beliefs. Experiences, beliefs, and attitudes construct a person's schema. Negative schemas often happen early in life and may be caused by negative intergenerational transaction patterns causing faulty schemas that need to be reevaluated. One tool used to challenge faulty or negative schemas is to assign homework to the client.
Identifying and analysing your personal beliefs in therapy
People are usually faced with experiences and thoughts that reinforce their personal beliefs. Such as life-changing events that have an impact on their family, work and romantic relationships. For example, someone suffering from depression might experience negative thoughts towards their abilities. As a reaction towards the negative train of thoughts, the individual may start avoiding specific situations. To redirect the negative thoughts and behaviours, a cognitive-behavioral therapist helps their clients identify the problematic beliefs. Teaching coping skills is the core concept of cognitive-behavioral therapy so that clients can recognise high-risk situations for their triggers and change accordingly.
Learning new skills to reach your goal(s)
Our London Cognitive Behavioural therapists believe their clients change because they began to think, act and feel differently about situations. Therefore, a cognitive therapist focuses more on teaching self-efficient and self-controlling skills so the client can learn how to be more accountable. This therapy is most likely a collaborative effort between the client and therapist. CBT therapists focus on what their clients want out of life and their goals for therapy instead of what they want clients to do and achieve. The work during the sessions focusses on clients’ images, thoughts, and beliefs that occur within their situations.
The Therapeutic Relationship in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT can be seen as a collaborative relationship between client and therapist. A strong and positive therapeutic relationship is a contributing factor for the success of therapy. To create a relationship with the client, the therapist must be an active listener, caring and empathetic without being condescending or judgmental, validating the client and creating an environment where the client feels safe and secure. When the client feels safe, cared for and respected, he or she may open up easily and be more forthright and honest. Our London CBT therapists believe that it is important to encourage, listen and show support towards their clients.
What is the goal of CBT?
The goal of CBT is not to eradicate or standardise clients' emotions but to activate their abilities to create a more realistic assessment of the situation. Our London CBT practitioners teach clients how their thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected, and then helps them to change their thoughts so that feelings and actions change as a consequence. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can also be used for a large variety of issues, from marital conflict to drug abuse and even eating disorders.
CBT helps you change how you think and feel
Cognitive behavioural therapy helps an individual to breakdown connections between difficult situations and their reactions to them. CBT helps people to remain calm and have complete control over their mind and body so that they may focus on making better decisions. Cognitive therapy teaches individuals how their way of thinking is causing most of their symptoms. The main benefit of CBT is to change the way people think and feel even if the situation doesn’t change. At the International Psychology Clinic in London you can see a private therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy to help with a range of issues.
How to Get Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in London
Our highly experienced and trained Psychologists offer CBT at our clinics in Central London.
Our Private CBT Therapists and Psychologists
All our Private Therapists and Psychologists offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Click here to meet the Team.
Individual Therapy Fees
Sessions with our Psychologists are by prepaid appointments only. You can find out more about our fees on our Fees Page.
Further Reading about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
To find out more about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy please visit the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy NHS webpage. For more information about how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works for specific mental health conditions such as low mood & depression or anxiety disorders please read our series of blog posts on this topic.
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