Are you looking for CBT in Letchworth, or CBT in Hertfordshire? Look no further, we can help you unlock your full potential.

What is CBT?

CBT helps us change behaviours and reactions by focusing on how we maintain problems and not the root cause. Sometimes it’s the coping mechanism we choose to protect ourselves with that does the most long term damage, without us being aware that we are self sabotaging.

CBT shows you how to change and develop alternative ways of thinking things through. This allows you to try out new ideas and strategies to find alternatives to toxic thoughts or unhelpful behaviours.

How can CBT help?

Many CBT techniques will seem like every day common sense. This is because CBT is a sensible and straightforward approach to overcoming problem behaviours.

• Cognitive: Thought processes like thinking, recalling a memory or dreaming. We all experience positive and negative thoughts throughout the day. You will also have values and beliefs about yourself, those around you and the world in general. Sometimes these beliefs become too rigid and become less helpful to us.
• Behaviour: Physical responses including what we say, or don’t say. The type of actions we take, how we respond to problems and what we tend to avoid. A person with social anxiety might avoid large social gatherings, this could then lead to isolation from people and the outside world.
• Therapy: The systematic approach to overcoming a problem or illness.

How does CBT work?

With CBT you need to go back to your ABCs: you experience an Activating event, which leads to Beliefs and thoughts which turn into a physically, or emotionally, experienced Consequence.

• Activating event – this includes how you see yourself, your past experiences, the world around you and events you live through.
• Beliefs and thoughts – such as the demands you make on yourself, any rules you abide by, your self belief, your attitude and your frame of mind.
• Consequences – Are you experiencing helpful or unhelpful feelings, and do they lead to constructive or destructive behaviour?

For example: if an anxious person thinks of a party they’re going to attend, they might think “people will think I’m stupid, they won’t want to talk to me” or “what if I can’t think of anything to say” and a whole cascade of other negative thoughts.
The person’s internal belief could add to this negative pattern with the thought that they are stupid or not worth talking to, and will ultimately make a fool of them self.
This could lead to the person avoiding the party so that they don’t have to experience the physical symptoms of anxiety. These could include heart palpitations, clammy skin, a feeling of nausea or even a panic attack. These reactions will feed into each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CBT techniques allow us to explore more positive beliefs and thoughts. This can change the experience you have when dealing with challenging situations, whatever they might be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you looking for CBT in Letchworth? Please call us on 01438 358174 to book an assessment today, or to discuss your goals further.

Disclaimer:

As is common in therapy, results may vary from individual to individual and no specific outcome can be promised or guaranteed. Your therapist will however, endeavour to accomplish the objective of your sessions to the best of her ability.