Ready to book your first online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy session?
How does cognitive behavioural therapy work?
CBT has been around for many years. It’s the basis of other therapies, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). If you are thinking negatively about yourself or a situation and that is causing you problems, CBT might be able to help.
In CBT, you work with a therapist to recognise the patterns of thinking (cognition) and behaviour that cause your problems.
First, you will work with your therapist to understand what are the most troubling problems for you. Then, you work out what your thoughts, emotions and beliefs are about these situations. You will identify which of these thoughts, emotions and beliefs are negative or inaccurate. And then, working with your therapist, you find ways to challenge them.
You might ask yourself: is that true? Or you might ask yourself: so what?
You then also identify what behaviours are based on these negative beliefs that you could change. Then, you can find ways to think and act that are less harmful to you.
What is CBT used for?
Research shows CBT has helped children, teenagers and adults with emotional, psychological and psychiatric issues, such as anxiety and depression.
Click a topic below to learn more about issues that CBT has been shown to help people with.
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The most extensively used therapy for anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). According to research, it has been proven to be helpful in treating panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder, among other diseases. The primary idea of CBT is that our thoughts rather than external events influence our feelings. In other words, it's your perspective of the circumstance, not the situation itself, that defines how you feel.
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Exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive therapy are two scientifically established approaches for changing a person's behaviour and ideas in cognitive-behavioural therapy. A cognitive-behavioural therapist administers CBT with experience treating OCD.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP), a type of cognitive behavioural therapy, is the treatment of choice for OCD. People with OCD are placed in scenarios where they are gradually exposed to their obsessions and instructed not to do the compulsions that generally help them cope with their anxiety and suffering in ERP therapy. This is done at your own pace; your therapist never makes you do something you don't want to.
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For anger management therapy, CBT employs a series of questions and activities to assist you in comprehending the triggers that cause anger to escalate and result in outbursts. Your therapist can teach you skills to manage anger more successfully once you've identified the triggers and their core reasons, such as deep breathing, relaxation techniques, and problem-solving. CBT approaches for anger also emphasise the importance of calm, assertive speech over aggressive, unhealthy communication. Remember that rage is a natural human emotion that should be expressed when justified. The objective is to develop adaptable methods of expressing anger that does not violate proper boundaries.
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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) assists people with PTSD by challenging complex cognitive processes and emotions linked to their trauma (as does online trauma counselling). By challenging these mental patterns, the patient is able to acknowledge the trauma's truth. CBT can also help by increasing someone's emotional insight through evaluating responses to traumatic reminders. CBT can assist persons with PTSD to lessen the adverse effects of their panic responses in their daily lives and reduce the severity of these responses by developing an understanding of the connection between their reactions and emotions.
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CBT for stress helps you understand how specific thought and behaviour patterns might increase stress levels. It can also assist you in developing new thinking and behaviour patterns that allow you to recognise stress triggers and improve your confidence and ability to deal with stressful situations more efficiently. After a suitable course of cognitive-behavioural therapy for anxiety, you should anticipate feeling more at ease, in control, and better able to handle life events, both those that cause stress and those that do not cause you any tension.
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CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a highly successful therapy for relationship issues that can be used individually or in couples. Couples can use CBT to enhance communication, boost rewarding relationship behaviours, and review problematic assumptions that may be causing a rift between them. CBT therapy can also help people improve a variety of relationships, ranging from interactions with coworkers to relationships with significant others. Assertiveness training, emotion control skill development, and cognitive restructuring are among them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Cognitive Behavior Therapy is one of the most-used mental health techniques to treat a variety of mental health disorders. Common mental health disorders that can be treated with cognitive behaviour therapy were earlier expressed and discussed.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is also instrumental in providing assistance to deal with life stressors, grief, and relationship challenges.
Some other core benefits of CBT comprise of improved self-esteem, self-awareness, deciphering between healthy and unhealthy feelings, emotional intelligence, provides increased feelings of hope in situations, and overall, a more positive and solution-oriented thought processes.
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You’ll learn skills that will help with your current problems and that you can apply to future problems.
It relies on a close professional relationship with your therapist. They will help you to recognise the difference between helpful and unhelpful thoughts, and teach you how to let go of the unhelpful thoughts.
Your CBT program could be anywhere between 5 and 20 weeks, depending on your problem and the treatment program you and your therapist agree on.
It’s likely to include some homework. You’ll work with your therapist to set some tasks to practise what you talk about. CBT can be used at the same time as relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, medication, or supportive counselling.
For a different approach to learning CBT skills, try Fettle’s self-paced online course!
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CBT is not recommended for people with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia. It is also may not be effective for people with learning difficulties.
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Cognitive behavioural therapy can be offered in many forms, including online platforms. CBT online tools are just as effective as in-person sessions, making this a good choice for those who prefer virtual meetings.
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Arranging an appointment is simple, and anyone can do it using Fettle. All you need to do is choose the area of focus you need assistance with, then choose a therapist. After doing that, you can enter your contact details and select your date.
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Cognitive behavioural therapy can be done one-on-one or in groups with family members or others who are dealing with similar problems. There are online tools on Fettle that may make it easy to participate in CBT, especially if you reside in Ireland or the UK, and you have limited local mental health options. Learning about your mental health problem is a common component of CBT. Relaxation, coping, resilience, stress management, and assertiveness are all techniques that can be learned and practised.
Fettle even offers an 8-week online CBT course for people who need more flexible scheduling.
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As you are ready to begin your online CBT session, there are three things to consider.
Consider your objectives. CBT is a very practical treatment that aligns with the goals you set prior to your online session.
Please make a list of your symptoms and categorise them. CBT focuses on how our ideas, feelings, and behaviours are intertwined and influence one another.
Make a list of the things you enjoy doing. This allows your therapist to know what relaxes you to aid in future sessions.
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When seeking the best therapy for anxiety, it's crucial to explore effective options that can provide relief and support. One widely recognised therapy for anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a goal-oriented, evidence-based approach that focuses on identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors associated with anxiety.
Meet Fettle’s Trusted Online CBT Therapists!
Click through to read a therapist’s bio or to book a session.