Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
First the positive: CBT can be really effective as a treatment – but, as with all treatments, it can have side effects and will not work for everyone.
How does it work?
Two common misconceptions about CBT
Will it be helpful for you?
Further Information
About the author
How does it work?
CBT aims to help people work out why they feel as they do. The person is encouraged to try to look at how their problems are affecting them in five key areas of their life:
1) Their relationships (whether supportive, unsupportive or absent), their life situations and challenges, coupled with the various practical resources and difficulties they face;
2) In their thinking - which at times of distress can become dominated by negative and upsetting thoughts that worsen how we feel;
3) Emotionally - for example feeling anxious, low, ashamed, guilty or angry;
4) Physically - because we are whole people, Depression affects our bodies as well as our emotions;
5) and finally all of these problems can affect our activity levels and affect how we are able to live our lives. We may reduce or avoid doing things, or start doing things like drinking to block how we feel – however, these responses sometimes backfire and become part of the problem.
Two common misconceptions about CBT:
1) CBT is about thoughts and behaviours – It isn’t, it's about the whole person.
2) CBT ignores the past. Although CBT focuses on here and now problems, it doesn't ignore the past. Things that have happened to us in the past teach us important rules about how we see and judge ourselves and those around us. CBT focuses on how the past affects us today and tries to help change things that continue to upset or affect us.
Will it be helpful for you?
There are a number of evidence-based ways of getting better. A key issue then is whether you wish to work in a particular way, and whether the approach proves helpful for you. First, look for accreditation by the practitioner with UKCP(United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy www.psychotherapy.org.uk), BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychologies www.babcp.com) or BPS (British Psychological Society www.bps.org.uk) or another accrediting organisation to make sure what is offered is recognised as competent. Also, think about how you like to work on things. CBT is quite a practical treatment, often involving keeping diaries and doing experiments and may particularly suit people who like to organise and plan things.
It also aims to be an empowering form of therapy - helping people to help themselves, and isn't as appropriate if a person’s motivation is very, very low, if the degree of Depression is very high or if it is really hard for the person to focus or make changes. Finally, we have different world views, and sometimes the CBT model may just not make sense to us.
Finally, a key to most psychotherapies is whether things "click" both with CBT and with the therapist/practitioner. Skilled practitioners should be able to work with you at a pace and using a language that make sense to you. If you don't get this, it’s worth saying this clearly in sessions, and see if it leads to a different content or pace to therapy. If it doesn't, then maybe try another therapist, or another evidence-based therapeutic approach. Having said that, CBT is probably the thing to try first!
Further Information
Living Life to the Full
A free online lifeskills course based on CBT www.livinglifetothefull.com
Mood Gym
A free online CBT course from Australia http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome
British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychologies
Accrediting body for CBT psychologies. You can find a CBT therapist on their website www.babcp.com.
About the Author
Dr Chris Williams is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Glasgow. He is a past president of the BABCP, the lead body for cognitive behaviour therapy in the UK. He is the author of several self-help packages and books, including” Overcoming Depression” and “Living Life to the Full” For more information visit www.fiveareas.co.uk and www.livinglifetothefull.com