Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a combination of cognitive therapy and behaviour therapy. CBT focuses on changing unhelpful or unhealthy thoughts and behaviours.

CBT is based on several core principles, including:
1. Psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking. For example people who suffer from anxiety tend to experience unhelpful anxious thought patterns based around perceived dangers. For those who suffer from depression, they are often caught in unhelpful thoughts that may consist of negative thoughts about themselves, the world around them, and their future.
2. Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior. For example, people may turn to destructive behaviours such as substance use to cope with depressive thoughts. Or a sufferer of anxiety may use avoidant behaviours to cope.
3. People suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping by learning to see things in healthier ways, and learning to behave in ways that will benefit them in the long run.
4. CBT requires the client applying principles of CBT in between sessions to effect the changes to their thinking and behaviour patterns.