What is CBT?

A leaflet to explain how CBT works in the Early Intervention Service.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be a helpful intervention when someone is experiencing thoughts, emotions and beliefs that are difficult to cope with and stopping them from carrying on with their day-to-day life.

Cognitive: your thoughts and emotions about an event.
Behaviour: how these cognitions influence your actions.
Therapy: working together with a therapist to understand and solve problems.

Creating a clear picture (model) of thoughts, feelings, beliefs and actions like the drawing above it can help clarify the difficulties people experience. A clear understanding of what a person is experiencing and how this is affecting their life is a good starting point for work towards positive changes, which is something a person can do together with a therapist.

How could CBT help me?

Everyone is individual and how CBT could help you would be unique to you. You can discuss CBT in more detail with your case manager and/or care team and they will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Why CBT?

Difficulties coping with painful or distressing thoughts and feelings are very common, only 1 in 10 people are left-handed, but 1 in 4 people will experience mental health difficulties in their lifetime.

There is lots of evidence that CBT can provide people with tools to manage a variety of problems like anxiety, phobias, coping with traumatic experiences, changes in mood and psychosis. CBT can simplify difficulties so that they are clearer, and together with a therapist you can understand them and consider changes you would like to make.

What happens in CBT?

CBT sessions normally last 45 minutes to one hour and will either take place in your home or in a local health centre. You would see a therapist once a week or once every two weeks, typically for between 16 and 20 sessions.

You and a therapist will work together to understand the difficulties you are having, using psychological models to ensure you both have a clear idea about the problems you are experiencing.

Psychological models are not as complicated as they sound and are based on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours.

The therapist is not there to ‘cure’ you but will work with you to reduce your distress and help you change the way you see your difficulties.

CBT is about challenging your beliefs and you’ll work together to come up with tasks to complete between sessions. The tasks are an important part of CBT and something you will discuss with your therapist during sessions.

CBT works best when you attend all the sessions and complete any between session work. If you miss a lot of sessions (three or more) it may be that you will not have enough time to complete your sessions and your therapist may have to end your appointments.

Will my information be kept confidential?

Your therapist will only share information from your sessions with other people involved in your care, and with your consent. However, if you tell your therapist something that makes them concerned about your safety, or the safety of others, they may have to pass on information to others even if you don’t consent to this.

How long will I have to wait for CBT?

There is a lot of demand for CBT in our service and it can therefore take several months from referral to therapy to starting CBT. Your case manager will be able to give you an indication of how long the wait is likely to be.