What Is CBT and How Can It Help You?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps you understand the link between how you think, feel, and behave. It’s based on the idea that our thoughts, emotions, and actions are all interconnected — and that by changing one part of the cycle, we can influence the rest.
For example, imagine being invited to a party. If your first thought is “I’m unlikeable”, that belief can trigger feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and self-doubt. As a result, you might show up and keep to yourself, avoiding conversation — which then seems to confirm the original thought. Next time, you might not go at all. This is how unhelpful patterns can become self-fulfilling and hard to break.
CBT helps you step back and make sense of these cycles. You’ll learn how to:
Identify unhelpful thoughts and thinking styles (like mindreading — “everyone’s judging me”)
Understand how those thoughts affect your emotions and behaviours
Build confidence through new coping strategies and small behavioural experiments that help shift the cycle in a more helpful direction
In therapy, we often begin by learning to spot the patterns. We then develop practical tools for managing uncomfortable emotions, and gradually test out new ways of approaching situations. That might mean challenging yourself to talk to two people at the next event, or changing your self-talk during the lead-up. Over time, these small changes build real, lasting momentum.
What Can CBT Help With?
People come to CBT for many different reasons — and all of them are valid. Whether it’s general anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, low mood, sleep problems, self-esteem issues, or feeling stuck in life, CBT helps you break big problems down into smaller, more manageable parts.
Whatever you’re facing, CBT gives you the tools to understand it, challenge it, and move forward with greater control.
What CBT Is (And Isn’t)
It’s not just talking. It’s not writing essays. And it’s not one-size-fits-all.
CBT is a collaborative process — you’re the expert in your own life, and I bring the structure and tools to help you make sense of what’s going on. Together, we figure out what’s keeping you stuck, and how to shift it.
The so-called “homework” between sessions is often simple but powerful: noticing your thoughts, trying a relaxation exercise, or doing something a little differently during your day. These small actions are where change really begins to happen.
What Should I Expect from CBT?
After the first few sessions — especially once we’ve gone through the initial education and started developing your toolkit — you’ll start to see yourself and your challenges differently. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s understanding, confidence, and change.
By the end of therapy, my aim is for you to feel equipped to be your own therapist. That means knowing how to respond to difficulties, how to support yourself, and how to bounce back with confidence when life gets tough.
