Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy

CBT Therapists in Galway and surrounding areas

What is cognitive-behavioural therapy?

Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic method  used for helping people with a range of psychological problems.  It focuses on the relationship between thoughts, (cognitions), emotions, physical sensations and behaviours.  In particular, it focuses on identifying and managing thinking patterns that can lead to distressing emotions and unhelpful coping strategies.

While CBT mainly focuses on the here and now, it does take account of what happened in the past in order for problems to develop and be maintained.

CBT is an active therapy in that it focuses on the development of new knowledge and skills which can be used to help cope with any future problems. In this way, CBT is very helpful for preventing future relapses.

CBT can treat a range of problems

CBT can be used to treat most common psychological problems.  It has a clear evidence base for a number of psychological problems including:

• Depression
• Panic
• Agoraphobia
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Specific phobias
• Social phobia
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Bulimia
• Borderline personality disorder
• Pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Bipolar affective disorder
• Low self-esteem
• Nightmares

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), a UK body which provides evidence-based guidance specifically recommends CBT for the following problems:

• Depression
• Depression in the context of a physical health condition
• Panic disorder
• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD)
• Body-dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Psychosis

CBT involves working through a series of phases

CBT includes the following phases – assessment, problem identification, goal setting, formulation (making sense of problems), intervention (learning to do things differently), developing a relapse prevention plan, evaluation (were the goals set at the start of treatment achieved?), follow-up, discharge and top up sessions as required.

CBT sessions take place weekly initially, and last one hour.  During the session, the CBT therapist will review the previous weeks’ learning, a skill is discussed and learning tasks are planned for the upcoming week.  These tasks are then reviewed in the subsequent session.  Every session ends with a review to ensure sessions are progressing as expected and goals are being met.

The initial assessment will help your therapist recommend the number of sessions you are likely to need

As everyone is different, the number of sessions required varies, and will depend on the severity of the problem and how long it has been around for.  Someone with a mild problem may benefit from an assessment alone, as simply having a greater understanding of why they feel they way they do can help enormously.  Many people with mild difficulties will benefit from 6-8 sessions and those who have more moderate to severe and/or enduring difficulties may require significantly more sessions. Once you have had your assessment, your CBT therapist will have a better idea of how many sessions are required and this will be discussed so that you have an idea of the time and cost implications.

Would you like to see a CBT therapist in Galway?

If you are interested in CBT, please call the clinic on 091 727777 or get in touch via the contact page and we can arrange an assessment appointment for you.