Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT rests on an observation that is easy to verify in your own life: thoughts, feelings and behaviour feed each other. Expect an evening to go badly and you will arrive guarded; arrive guarded and it probably will; and the evening then confirms the expectation. The loop closes.

CBT works by finding a place to interrupt it.

What the work involves

Sessions tend to be more structured than in some other approaches. You and your therapist will usually identify specific situations, pull apart what went through your mind, and look at the evidence for and against it — not to dismiss the thought, but to check whether it is accurate.

Alongside that sits the behavioural half, which is often where the movement comes from. Avoiding something reduces anxiety now and strengthens it later, so a good deal of CBT involves carefully approaching what has been avoided, at a pace you set.

What to expect

CBT is typically more focused and often shorter than open-ended therapy. There is usually a goal, some way of tracking whether things are shifting, and small pieces of practice between sessions. People who like knowing where a process is going tend to get on well with it.

Where it is useful

CBT has one of the largest research bases in psychotherapy, particularly for anxiety disorders and depression. It is also used for stress, anger, insomnia and panic.

At Rooted Therapy, Anita integrates CBT alongside EFT, DBT and EMDR, choosing between them based on what you bring rather than applying one protocol to everyone.