What to expect from a course of CBT with me
How many sessions will I have?
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The length of a course of CBT varies and is typically around 6 -12 sessions however I can be flexible depending on your requirements and preferences. Please see Brief CBT and ACT for more information about short courses of CBT and ACT.
Our sessions are usually weekly and 60 minutes. Research has shown that regular sessions at this frequency are the most beneficial in producing lasting change. Progress will be reviewed at the end of each meeting to check you are getting what you need from the therapy.
At regular points during therapy I will review your general progress and your experience of the therapy. If you are willing, I can complete and analyse measures of your symptoms at these reviews. After your 1-3 CBT sessions you will be better able to understand your problem, have an increased awareness of thoughts and feelings and perhaps have started to practice new tools to manage these.
What are the aims?
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The ultimate aim of a course of CBT is for you to become your ‘own therapist’. With this goal in mind, there will be an emphasis on some work in-between the sessions so that you can start to put this into practice. Learning the new skills to manage difficult thoughts and uncomfortable feelings is a little like learning to play a new instrument - the more you practise, the easier it gets. I will encourage you and provide you with the tools that you will need to do this.
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Is CBT suitable for me?
A course of therapy will usually start with a ‘suitability screening session’. During this we will look together from a CBT point of view at how your problem functions and impacts you on a day-to-day basis. This will help us to understand what maintains your problem and how it may be able to change. If at this first session we decide that a course of CBT and ACT can help you, then we will either plan a further assessment over the next session or start treatment straightaway.
Will we talk about my past?
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Understanding the roots of your problem by exploring early experiences such as childhood, school and early relationships can sometimes help us to better understand unhelpful ways of thinking, which in turn can help you to respond to these thoughts more helpfully. We can spend time doing this if it feels meaningful and helpful to you, with a view to understanding how the past affects the 'here and now'.
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Goals:
An important part of CBT is its focus on therapy goals. We will spend time exploring your personal values together so we have a shared understanding of which areas of life are most important to you and a clear vision of how you want to be in these areas. Highlighting your individual values in this way can help us make your goals more significant. Your values can act as a compass and a powerful motivator which helps you make the changes that you want to make.
Treatment:
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The main focus of CBT treatment sessions is on the development of new tools and techniques to help you manage symptoms like difficult thoughts and uncomfortable feelings in order to decrease their impact and break any unhelpful patterns. We will usually focus on some behavioural changes and sessions are likely to involve graded exposure, ERP (Exposure and Response prevention) and graded or increased activity. They may also include diary keeping, assertiveness or other skills training.
Each session you will choose how best to spend your time and we will set an agenda at the beginning of our session. I will provide you with CBT bridging sheets ahead of the session which will help you to summarise your week and set an agenda for each session.
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Relapse Prevention:
At the point you start to feel that you have gained enough from the sessions and have achieved your therapy goals, we will start work on a relapse prevention plan. These plans are a summary of your course of therapy with a focus on what has changed, how to take this forward and how to prevent or manage setbacks.
I will invite you to book a review session 3 months after the end of your course of therapy to assess your relapse prevention. You will be welcome to book in for any CBT booster sessions that may be required.
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How does video therapy work?
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More recently, the majority of my therapy sessions are delivered via video call. CBT video therapy works in exactly the same way to having a session in-person and it is usually easier to arrange as we don't have to travel or book a room. The main difference is the need for you to have a private space and a good internet connection. This a widely-recognised means of delivering CBT, with no differences in clinical outcome when compared to in-person sessions.
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What if I have to cancel a session?
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As long as you give 24 hours notice there is no charge for cancelled sessions. Otherwise, missed sessions will incur full session fees.
I hope that this gives you an idea of what to expect from a course of CBT/ACT with me as your therapist. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
