Explains what cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is, what it is for, what happens during therapy and how to find a therapist.
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Although many people can benefit from CBT, not everyone finds it helpful. You might find that it just doesn't suit you, or doesn't meet your needs.
"I think it can go either way. I've been through a long course of CBT a few years ago, and for some people it helped, whereas for others it didn't."
Before deciding to have CBT, it might be helpful to think about the following:
"I found the first month so terrifying and draining because it dragged up things from the past that I never knew had impacted on me..."
Comparisons with other types of short-term psychological therapy aren't clear-cut. Some people find other talking treatments effective, including psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy, humanistic therapies, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and arts therapies.
There are a lot of different models of therapy and more research needs to be done on what works when and for whom. You can talk to your doctor about which treatment is most suitable for you. (See our A-Z of talking treatments for more information on some of these topics.)
Not everyone finds that the course of CBT they've been offered helps as much as they'd like. In this case you might want to think about the options below.
"I had previously tried [CBT] when I was first diagnosed, which I didn't find helpful ... however the second time I tried it, it completely changed my life."
This information was published in October 2017.
This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published.
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