CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an approach which focuses on looking at how and what we think, as thoughts are considered to be the power house behind how we feel and then influencing how we behave. Exploring our thinking around a subject or situation is usually very insightful. Our mind thinks in a very particular way when we are stressed, anxious or depressed and, for the most part, these thoughts are not entirely based on reality or backed by facts. Often what we believe is a truth is based on our own perceptions and the meanings we make.
Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy these kind of thoughts, referred to as Negative Automatic Thoughts or Hot Thoughts are examined and challenged allowing more balanced thinking to unfold and an alternative perspective to emerge.
CBT provides us with the opportunity to change our relationship with our thinking – particularly negative thoughts – which often have the power to overwhelm, distress and depress. It opens the door to reducing the impact of negative thoughts on how we feel and equally important on how we behave or act. To that end, CBT helps to develop a more balanced relationship with our thinking as we learn a very crucial and empowering concept that ‘we don’t have to believe everything we think’.
