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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your
problems by changing the way you think and behave.
It is most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental
and physical health problems.
CBT cannot remove your problems, but it can help you deal with them in a more positive
way. It is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions
are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.
CBT aims to help you crack this cycle by breaking down overwhelming problems into smaller
parts and showing you how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than
focusing on issues from your past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind
on a daily basis.
Read more about how CBT works. When is CBT used?
CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health
conditions.
In addition to depression or anxiety disorders, CBT can also help people with:
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) panic disorder post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
phobias eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia sleep problems, such as insomnia problems related to alcohol misuse
CBT is sometimes used to treat people with long-term health conditions, such as irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). CBT cannot cure the physical
symptoms of these health conditions, but it can help people cope better with their symptoms.
Finding a CBT therapist
If you think you have a problem that may benefit from treatment with CBT, the first step is
usually to speak to your GP.
Your GP may be able to refer you for CBT that is free on the NHS, although you may have
to wait. Find psychological therapy services (IAPT).
If you can afford it, you can choose to pay for your therapy privately. The cost of private
therapy sessions varies, but it is usually 40-100 per session.
If you are considering having CBT privately, ask your GP if they can suggest a local therapist. The British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) keeps
a register of all accredited therapists in the UK and The British Psychological Society (BPS)
has a directory of chartered psychologists, some of whom specialise in CBT. What happens
during CBT sessions?
If CBT is recommended, you will usually have a session with a therapist once a week or once
every two weeks. The course of treatment will usually last for between 5 and 20 sessions, with
each session lasting 30-60 minutes.
During the sessions, you will work with your therapist to break down your problems into their
separate parts ? such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions.
You and your therapist will analyse these areas to work out if they are unrealistic or unhelpful
and to determine the effect they have on each other and on you. Your therapist will then be
able to help you work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
After working out what you can change, your therapist will ask you to practise these changes
in your daily life and you will discuss how you got on during the next session.

The eventual aim of therapy is to teach you to apply the skills you have learnt during treatment
to your daily life. This should help you manage your problems and stop them having a negative
impact on your life ? even after your course of treatment finishes. Pros and cons of CBT
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of CBT.
Research has shown that CBT can be as effective as medication in treating some mental health
problems. Compared to other talking therapies, CBT can also be completed over a relatively
short period of time.
However, to benefit from CBT, you need to commit yourself to the process. A therapist
can help and advise you, but they cannot make your problems go away without your full
co-operation.
Also, due to the structured nature of CBT it may not be suitable for people with more complex
mental health needs or learning difficulties.
Read more about the pros and cons of CBT.

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Types of CBT
CBT can be carried out in several different forms, including:
individual therapy ? one-to-one sessions with a therapist group therapy ? with others who
wish to tackle a similar problem a self-help book ? where you carry out exercises from the
book a computer program ? known as computerised CBT (CCBT)