As an experienced cognitive behavioural therapist in Billericay, I have worked with people of all backgrounds work through a range of different issues. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on addressing the way you think about yourself and others in the here and now, giving you the space to address negative thought patterns and change them for the better. This process is suitable for a number of specific problems, so if you are considering starting CBT for the first time, here are three areas where it has proven to be particularly effective.

Depression 

If you’re someone who struggles with depression, I will use CBT to help you uncover unhealthy patterns of thinking and how they may be affecting your mood, beliefs about yourself, as well as your overall look on life. Constantly negative thought patterns serve to reinforce a feeling of depression, so our work will revolve around doing the work needed to gradually replace these negative thoughts with more positive thoughts in real time.

Anxiety

When you constantly feel anxious towards certain situations, it can start to underpin the way you see yourself and others, ultimately leading to anxious thoughts becoming a pattern in your life. CBT helps you identify the links in the chain that contribute to your anxiety - the thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical sensations that arise when you feel anxious. By writing down these thoughts, noting the way they came to you and what impact they had, you can actively start to disrupt the spiral into anxious modes of thinking.

Addictions

In a similar way to anxiety, we will pay close attention to the thoughts that arise when you start ‘craving’ the substance and/or behaviour that has become an addiction for you. Addiction is not a choice, but rather a natural reaction to stress, and failing to pay attention to this pattern means it becomes almost impossible to break the cycle. We will therefore work closely with the triggers and associated thought patterns that lead to feelings of craving. Doing this allows you to become more mindful of the internal processes leading to craving and eventually develop different thought patterns that mean you don’t need to keep sinking into addictions as a way of making yourself feel better.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, or any other issue, from eating disorders to relationship struggles to bereavement, I am here to provide a professional helping hand through cognitive behavioural therapy in Billericay. Feel free to get in touch and we will arrange an initial chat.