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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: How changing your thoughts can change your life

Glyn Hupalo

So, have you ever heard of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT? It's basically a therapy approach that helps people to identify and change negative patterns of thinking and behaviour.

The idea behind it is that the way we see things in our lives can have a big impact on how we feel and act. CBT is usually done in a short time frame over a set number of sessions and it's been shown to work really well for a whole range of mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction.


The main aim of CBT is to help people recognise their negative thought patterns and behaviours and teach them new skills to change them. In CBT, the therapist and the person work together to spot these negative patterns, beliefs, and attitudes that are making them feel bad. Once they're identified, the therapist helps the person develop new, more positive ways of thinking and behaving.


One of the main techniques used in CBT is called cognitive restructuring. This means spotting negative thoughts and challenging them, and then replacing them with more positive and rational ones. For instance, if someone is feeling socially anxious and thinks, "Nobody likes me," they'd work with their therapist to challenge this thought and come up with a more positive one, like "I have friends who enjoy my company and like to spend time with me."


Another technique that's really important in CBT is behavioural activation. This is about finding positive things to do that can help improve mood and reduce distress. It could be things like going for a walk, hanging out with friends, or doing something fun and creative.


CBT also uses other techniques like exposure therapy, where someone is slowly and safely exposed to things that make them anxious or stressed, and relaxation and mindfulness techniques, which can help people manage their emotions and feel less stressed.


Overall, CBT is a super effective therapy that can help people learn new skills to deal with their mental health issues. By spotting negative thought patterns and behaviours and replacing them with more positive ones, people can improve their mood and feel less distressed. If you're struggling with mental health problems, it might be worth reaching out to a therapist who's trained in CBT to find out more about how it works and whether it could be helpful for you.


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