The Association for Psychological Therapies

What is CBT?

CBT Stands for Cognitive Behavioural view we take of them. If this is the case then your
Therapy. It is used for a whole range of therapist may try to help you take a different view
mental health problems and, increasingly, of things.
to develop the mental health and resilience
of people who don’t have any particular What will sessions be like?
problem. It was originated in the United
States by Aaron T Beck in the late 1970’s CBT sessions tend to be very straightforward
and has developed since then. It is generally and ‘down to earth’. So, probably, you and your
considered as the treatment approach of therapist will discuss things in a very open way,
choice in the UK and other countries. and talk about what might make things better for
you. Some of these ideas might come from the
therapist, some might come from you.
What will probably happen when you
see your therapist is the following: Then your therapist will probably suggest you try
some of these ideas out and see how they go.
1. The therapist will ask you all about your
Typically some ideas turn out to be good ones, and
problems, what brought you into therapy, and
improve things for you. Equally, some ideas don’t
what you hope to get out of it. He or she will
work so well, and so get dropped. In summary,
aim to become an expert on your problems!
therapy is normally best described as the two of
2. The therapist will be particularly interested in all you working together and trying things out so you
those things that are currently contributing to find some good ideas that work well.
your problem, either directly or indirectly.
One of the great things about this is that it leaves
3. The therapist will formulate a plan for helping you better off at the end of therapy, in that you will
you, and may well work on developing this plan probably have acquired new skills that will stand
jointly with you. you in good stead forever.
Finally, your therapist will be interested in
At each of those three stages the measuring progress. He or she might do this in
therapist will be thinking in terms a very simple way with questions such as “how
of five areas as follows: has your week been, out of 10?” or may involve
questionnaire measures, which again tend to be
(a) What you do. That is, how you spend your time, reasonably quick, easy and enjoyable to fill in. In
and anything you do that may affect your problem, any event, your therapist will devise some way of
for better or for worse. measuring progress.
(b) Physical factors, such as how you sleep, how
you eat, and what exercise you take. Summary.
(c) Your emotions. For example: sad or happy, In summary, CBT is one of the most widely used
worried or relaxed, irritable or laid back, feeling and successful approaches in the UK, hinges on
ashamed, feeling guilty, and any other ‘feelings’. you and your therapist discussing things openly
together and trying out the ideas you produce. It
(d) Your surroundings. Sometimes this means your
usually results in improvements that the therapist
physical surrounds, where you live, where you work
will be keen to measure. Therapists are usually
and so on. And sometimes it means the people
enthusiastic to ensure that you have a rewarding
around you, what friends you have, family, etc.
experience of therapy that stands you in good
(e) The way you think. Occasionally, it is not so stead forever more.
much events themselves that bother us, but the

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