Understanding CBT: What is it and how can it help me?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy designed to reduce the frequency and intensity of distressing thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Unlike some other forms of therapy, CBT follows a more structured approach and emphasises the development of practical skills—such as cognitive strategies, behavioural flexibility, and emotional regulation—to help individuals reach their therapy goals. This structured, skills-focused method provides people with the tools to become their own therapists, empowering them to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and build more healthy behaviours.
Understanding the Popularity of CBT
Since 2008, CBT has become one of the most widely used forms of therapy in the UK, especially through the NHS’s Talking Therapies programme (previously known as IAPT). It’s recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a primary treatment for common issues such as depression and a range of anxiety disorders, as well as others.
So why do so many people choose CBT? Its popularity comes down to a few key reasons that individuals often find reassuring and helpful:
1. Evidence-Based and Measurable
NICE’s endorsement of CBT has come about as a consequence of numerous randomised controlled trials demonstrating CBT’s efficacy in treating a range of mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders. CBT routinely incorporates psychological assessments that use numerical tools to track changes in symptoms such as low mood or excessive worry, helping to measure progress over time.
2. Time-Limited and Cost-Effective
CBT is typically delivered over a short to medium time frame, unlike some longer-term counselling models. This is often reassuring to both clients and service providers operating with limited time and financial resources. One reason CBT can achieve results in fewer sessions is its focus on psychoeducation and skill-building, helping clients become their own therapists by understanding and managing their thinking and behavioural patterns independently from therapeutic support.
3. Structured and Goal-Oriented Sessions
CBT sessions follow a clear structure and maintain a strong focus on agreed-upon goals. The therapist and client work collaboratively to define and pursue specific objectives. This predictable framework helps provide a sense of containment and direction, reducing the risk of clients leaving sessions feeling uncertain about their progress.
4. Focus on the Present
While acknowledging that past experiences often contribute to current distress, CBT primarily focuses on what maintains the problem in the present. The rationale is that understanding what caused the problem doesn’t necessarily help resolve it—just as knowing what started a fire doesn’t necessarily help you put the fire out. Therefore, our focus is understanding how problems show up in the present as this will provide the best insights around what is maintaining the distressing thoughts, emotions and/or behaviours. By helping clients identify and change unhelpful patterns in the here-and-now, therapist and client are working with more accessible and often more accurate information. Having said this, if it is important for the client that they understand the root cause of their distress, CBT can accommodate this exploration depending on the therapist’s approach.
5. Non-Stigmatising Framework
CBT promotes the idea that emotional responses exist on a continuum, from typical reactions to those that are more extreme and intense. There is no sharp divide between ‘normal’ and ‘extreme’, we all move along this spectrum depending on our internal states and external circumstances. For instance, someone might have a more extreme reaction when tired or hungry, whilst responding much more calmly in a different set of circumstances. Sharing this notion of everyone being positioned on a continuum reduces feelings of self-loathing, shame or abnormality for clients. It is not unusual for therapists to share relatable personal examples to reinforce the idea that intense emotional reactions are human and manageable.
Origins of CBT
The origin of CBT is often attributed to the work of Aaron T. Beck and Albert Ellis in the mid-20th century. Working independently, both challenged traditional therapeutic approaches at the time and instead focused on the idea that our thoughts and beliefs shape our emotional and behavioural responses.
Their work was heavily influenced by Stoicism, a school of thought that emerged in ancient Greece and Rome. A key Stoic principle that plays a central role in CBT is that it’s our interpretation of events, not the events themselves, that determines our emotional wellbeing. This is encapsulated in the words of the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, who wrote, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.” For example, receiving criticism at work might lead one person to feel ashamed and defeated, while another might see it as constructive feedback. Each view will lead the respective individuals to behave in very different ways upon hearing any criticism.
Over time, the ideas introduced by Beck and Ellis were expanded upon by other therapists and strengthened through research and clinical application leading to the evidence-based approach now recognised as CBT.
What to Expect From CBT
Building on Stoic philosophy, CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, behaviours, are all interconnected. If we can change the way we think or act in a situation, it can positively impact how we feel making CBT a practical, goal-focused approach to managing many common issues like anxiety, low mood, or stress.
In therapy, you and your therapist will work together to understand your experiences, what the triggers are for your distress, how you react, and what thoughts or beliefs might prevent you from moving beyond the problem. For example, if someone experiences social anxiety, their therapist might help them look at what situations make them anxious, what thoughts come up in those moments, and how they tend to respond. Avoiding anxiety-provoking situations might bring about short-term relief, but it can also make the intensity of anxiety stronger over time. CBT helps break this cycle.
“How else could I see this situation?”
“Do my feelings match what’s actually going on?”
“What could I do differently next time to feel more in control?”
can help clients recognise unhelpful thought patterns and explore new ways of thinking and responding that better align with your goals.
CBT is an active process too, clients are encouraged to practice new skills between sessions helping them to apply what they’ve learned in everyday life. A client’s engagement and involvement are key to making progress, and the therapist is there to guide and support them every step of the way.
Throughout a CBT intervention, the therapist will regularly check in with the client on how things are going. Collaboratively, they’ll look at what’s working, what’s changing, what hasn’t helped, and how close the client is to their goals. Once the client feels ready, they and their therapist will agree on when to end your sessions and talk through how to maintain the progress that’s been made.
CBT gives clients tools they can carry forward, helping them build confidence, manage challenges, and feel more in control long after therapy ends.
Where Can I Access CBT Sessions?
At The Wellbeing Community, we offer individual support, including CBT, tailored to your individual needs and goals. Whether you’re looking for help with anxiety or low mood, navigating a life transition, working through a career challenge, or simply seeking greater clarity and direction, we’re here to support you.
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many of our clients come to us not because they feel emotionally overwhelmed, but because they’re ready to grow, reflect, or make meaningful changes in their lives.
We begin with a free initial assessment where we take time to understand what brings you to therapy, explore your goals, and explain how we can work together in a collaborative and supportive way.
To book your free assessment, get in touch today by emailing us at info@thewellbeingcommunity.co.uk. We’re here when you’re ready to take the next step.
