What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy (psychotherapy) that aims to alleviate emotional distress by helping people to identify and modify distorted ways of thinking and therefore change the way they behave. CBT is based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, what we do, and how our bodies feel, are all connected. If we change one of these, we can alter all the others.
CBT combines two types of therapy to help you deal with these thoughts, emotions and behaviours:
- cognitive therapy, understanding the things you think.
- behaviour therapy, understanding the things you do.
Cognitive Behaviour therapy has been highly tested since the first outcome study was published in 1977, throughout the years several studies have been conducted and demonstrated that CBT is highly effective psychotherapy, in fact CBT has been demonstrated to be as effective, or more effective than, other forms of psychological therapy and psychiatric medications.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is used to treat a wide range of mental health disorders and issues, including depression, anxiety disorders (Generalised Anxiety Disorder; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Health Anxiety; Social Anxiety; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Panic Disorder; Phobias; Eating Disorders); alcohol and drug use problems; marital problems, sleep problems; severe mental illness and long term health conditions, such as chronic pain; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)and fibromyalgia.
It’s often the preferred type of psychotherapy because it can quickly help you identify and cope with specific challenges in the here and now. CBT is a time-sensitive, structured, goal focused type of therapy with an emphasis on the present moment.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends CBT as a first choice of treatment for a range of problems-depression, and anxiety disorders.
You can find more information about CBT in the
BABCP website https://babcp.com/What-is-CBT
NICE website https://www.nice.org.uk/
NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/
What is Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)?
Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that was originally designed to help people recover from traumatic experiences which negatively impacted their mental health and their day to day lives.
EMDR aims to reduce symptoms of trauma by changing how your memories are stored in your brain. Your EMDR therapist will be leading you through a series of bilateral movements (eye movement, auditory and/or tactile stimulation- tapping) as you recall traumatic or triggering experiences in small segments, until those memories no longer cause distress.
EMDR therapy is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK for trauma and PTSD. However, EMDR is known to support individuals suffering from a wide range of other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, panic attacks and addiction.
Benefits of EMDR can include:
- Recovery from trauma
- Changing old negative beliefs
- Creates a more rational and balanced perspective
- A ‘quicker’ way of recovery from trauma than other forms of psychotherapy
- Overcome blocks that holds you back in life.
- End symptoms of PTSD including nightmares.
- Becoming less emotionally reactive
- Ability to overcome obstacles in the here and now.
- Ability to deal with triggers.
You can find more information about EMDR in the:
EMDR Association UK website: https://emdrassociation.org.uk/
EMDRIA (EMDR International Association) website: https://www.emdria.org/