Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

When you’re traumatised, stressed, anxious or depressed, it can feel as if your mind and body are working against you. Thoughts race, sleep suffers, your chest tightens, motivation disappears and everyday tasks start to feel like climbing a hill. CBT is a practical, evidence-based therapy designed to help you break the patterns that keep these symptoms going.

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It’s built on a simple idea: the way you feel results from how you interpret situations and what you do next. In other words, it isn’t only what happens to you that matters; it’s the meaning your mind gives it, and the coping habits you use to get through it.

In CBT, we map out your personal “vicious cycle” by looking at:

• Situations (what triggers you)
• Thoughts (what your mind says)
• Feelings (emotions and physical sensations)
• Behaviours (what you do or avoid)

This makes change feel possible, because it shows where you can intervene.

CBT helps you recognise common thinking traps such as catastrophising, mind-reading, all-or-nothing thinking and harsh self-criticism. You then learn to test these thoughts – gently and realistically – by asking questions like:

• What’s the evidence?
• Is there another explanation?
• What would I say to a friend?
• What’s a more balanced way to see this?

CBT isn’t about “positive thinking”. It’s about accurate, calming, useful thinking.

Just as importantly, CBT focuses on behaviour. For trauma or anxiety, this may include graded exposure, so your brain learns you can cope and the alarm system settles. For depression, it often includes behavioural activation, rebuilding energy and confidence through manageable steps. You may also learn tools to calm the body, reduce rumination and worry, and improve sleep and routine.

CBT is collaborative, structured, and focused on results – helping you feel steadier, cope better and get your life back.

Ready to break unhelpful patterns?

I invite you to book a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit for working together.