What Is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of short-term therapy that focuses on how
our thoughts and feelings influence our actions. It helps people deal with current issues like
depression, anxiety, relationship problems, anger, and stress. The main goal is to help
people recognise and change negative thought patterns so they can respond better to tough
situations.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is suitable for people of all ages, including children,
teens, and adults. It can help individuals, families, and couples. In the United Kingdom,
the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends CBT as the
treatment of choice for a number of mental health difficulties such as:

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• Depression

• Anxiety disorders

• PTSD

• Stress

• Anger

• Panic disorders

• Phobias (like agoraphobia and social phobia)

• Eating disorders

• Marital problems

• OCD

• Childhood anxiety and depression

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CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a type of talk therapy that usually lasts between 5
and 20 weekly sessions, each about 45 to 50 minutes long. It starts with one or two sessions
where the therapist and client identify the main problems and set treatment goals. In the
following sessions, the client learns to spot negative thoughts and check if they are realistic.
If not, they learn how to change these thoughts to be more accurate. Once the client has a
more realistic view, the therapist helps them decide what actions to take. The therapy ends
with a couple of sessions to review and reinforce what was learned. Clients might also get

“homework” to practice skills in real-life situations. Sometimes, people return for occasional
follow-up sessions.