You suffer more when you don’t know what to do. You might have heard that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help and you’d be right. But what is it?
CBT is simple. It’s about teaching you new strategies. Not just any old strategy, but the best ones for your problems. These techniques target your unhelpful thoughts, so you can start to think in more productive ways. We can’t get rid of the thoughts you don’t like, but you can get better at learning to park them. And when you park unhelpful thoughts, it makes it easier to focus on what’s important.
Break Unhelpful Habits
CBT also teaches you strategies for breaking unhelpful habits. These habits are natural ways you’ve learned to cope with the stress, anxiety, guilt, low mood, fear, hurt, anger and shame. The problem is that what often seems logical to do, has the effect of making things worse. Let me give you an example.
It’s common for people to get anxious about going out and seeing people. You worry that you won’t cope, people won’t understand what you’re feeling, and you won’t enjoy yourself. These thoughts can create the urge to stay in and be alone. You cancel arrangements to see people and over time, your friends stop inviting you places. It gets to the point, where you feel more isolated and depression sometimes shows its horrible head. So, whilst not going out and seeing people can feel like the easier and better thing to do when you’re anxious or low, it can create further problems.
Recognise this experience? If so, we can help you overcome it. This is just one example out of many. Our job is to help you identify the thoughts, feelings, urges and coping behaviours you currently rely on. Once we have a clear picture of that, then we can teach you the best strategies to help you reduce your anxiety, lift your mood and build your confidence.
Sounds like hard work. Will it work for me?
CBT isn’t a quick-fix. Yet, it is just about the most effective treatment around for most problems of the head and the heart. It doesn’t beat close relationships, having an active-healthy life-style and doing what you love. How it works is to help you discover both what you want in your life and how to overcome the challenges of getting there. CBT shows you how to break-down the barriers between you now and a happier, more fulfilling and rewarding work and personal life.
Are you ready to get started?
To start the process, just get in touch to book an appointment. Give us a call on tel. 0121 523 1108 or send us a confidential email.
We have a choice of qualified skillful therapists. Find the person you’d like to work with below or let us know when you’re available.
You can meet in-person at our offices in central Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Or you can arrange an appointment for online therapy using a simple, friendly and secure video platform.
What are our fees?
Sessions are priced at £80.00 for 60 minutes, including the Initial Consultation. Pay-as-you-go for each appointment through a choice of simple payment methods including: bank transfer, Paypal, PayM, debit/credit card or cash. Discuss the best method with your therapist. You can use health insurance to pay for your sessions. Just get in touch to discuss the details.
Meet our team of CBT Therapists
Donna Haskayne
Clinical Psychologist
