Demystifying Your First Steps Towards Change

Thinking about therapy can bring up a lot of questions, and if you’ve been recommended Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), you might be wondering what actually goes on behind the therapist’s door. Perhaps you’ve heard snippets – "it’s all about changing your thoughts," or "it’s just positive thinking." Let me assure you, it’s so much more than that.

CBT is a powerful, evidence-based therapy, but more importantly, it's a collaborative journey you take with your therapist. It’s definitely not about ignoring your feelings or forcing a smile; it’s about understanding how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected and finding practical ways to create positive change in your life.

So, let's pull back the curtain and look at what you can genuinely expect from a CBT session.

The Heart of CBT: A Collaborative Partnership

One of the most crucial aspects of effective CBT is the therapeutic relationship. From your very first session, you'll find that your therapist isn't just a passive listener; they are an active partner. A good CBT therapist works with you, not just for you. Building a trusting, open environment where you feel safe to explore challenges without judgment is a critical first step. If this is not your experience then something needs to change. Your input, your goals, and your experiences are central to the whole process.

What Happens During a Session?

While each session is tailored to your unique needs, there's generally a clear, structured approach that helps us stay focused and make progress.

1. Setting the Agenda: We'll start by collaboratively setting an agenda for the session. This ensures we cover what's most important to you and keep your goals in mind. We might review how your week has been, discuss specific issues or difficulties you've faced, and decide on a focus area for our time together.

2. Exploring Your Concerns: This is where we delve into the heart of the matter. You'll have the space to talk about what's troubling you – whether it's anxiety, low mood, stress, or other challenges. Together, we'll begin to identify patterns and processes in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that might be maintaining your difficulties.

   • Myth-Busting: This is NOT about telling you to "just think positively”, but  we will examine thought patterns that occur during difficult experiences. We’ll look for specific styles of thinking that humans all use, for example, you may be prone to catastrophise, we'll explore why you do this (the function) as well as the consequences (both the helpful and the unhelpful). We may go on to explore evidence for and against the central thoughts, and generate alternative balanced, realistic perspectives, not necessarily "positive" ones, developing mental flexibility.

3. Learning New Skills and Strategies: CBT is highly practical. We won't just talk about problems; we'll actively work on solutions. You'll learn specific techniques and strategies to manage difficult thoughts, regulate emotions, and change unhelpful behaviours. This might involve:

   • Identifying cognitive distortions (unhelpful thinking styles).

   • Practicing emotion regulation techniques.

   • Developing problem-solving skills.

   • Gradually facing situations you've been avoiding through a behavioural experiment 

4. The "Between-Session Action Plan" (Homework): This is a cornerstone of CBT and where much of the real, lasting change happens. Towards the end of each session, we'll agree on an "action plan" for you to work on before our next meeting. This is a chance to practice the skills you've learned in your daily life. It might be keeping a thought record, trying a new coping strategy, or engaging in a new way of being with a behavioural experiment. These actions are vital because they help you integrate new ways of thinking and behaving, turning insights into lasting habits.

5. Review and Feedback: We’ll always leave a few minutes at the end to summarize what we’ve discussed, review your action plan, and get your feedback on the session. This ensures you leave feeling clear, supported, and ready for the week ahead.

Empowering You for Lasting Change

Ultimately, CBT sessions are about empowering you with the tools and understanding you need to become your own therapist. We'll work together to help you develop resilience, cope with challenges more effectively, and build a more fulfilling life.

If you’re ready to take that first step and explore how CBT can help you, I invite you to learn more about my practice and how we can work together. Contact us to find out more and to book a free 15 minute consultation. You don't have to face your challenges alone – a supportive, collaborative path to change is waiting.