What is CBT and Why Has Someone Recommended It to Me?
If you've recently reached out for support, you may have been told that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) could be helpful. CBT is one of the most widely researched and commonly recommended approaches to therapy, and for good reason, it can be highly effective for a range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, low self-esteem, stress, obsessive thoughts, and phobias.
But what exactly is CBT, and does being recommended CBT mean that it's the only type of therapy that can help?
Understanding the Basics
CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviours are all connected. Sometimes we can become caught in cycles where unhelpful thoughts influence how we feel and act, which in turn reinforces those thoughts.
For example:
"I'm going to make a fool of myself at this meeting."
This thought may lead to anxiety, a racing heart, and a desire to avoid speaking. If we stay silent, we never get the opportunity to discover that we might have coped perfectly well, and the fear remains intact.
CBT helps people identify these patterns and develop more balanced ways of thinking and responding.
What Can CBT Help With?
CBT has been shown to be effective for many common mental health difficulties, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Panic attacks
Depression
Low self-esteem
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Stress and burnout
Obsessive thoughts
Perfectionism
Phobias
Sleep difficulties
Many people appreciate CBT because it offers practical tools and strategies that can be applied in everyday life.
CBT Isn't About "Thinking Positively"
One common misconception is that CBT encourages people to simply replace negative thoughts with positive ones. In reality, CBT is less about positive thinking and more about realistic thinking.
The goal is not to convince yourself that everything is fine when it isn't. Instead, CBT helps you examine whether your thoughts are accurate, balanced, and helpful.
For example, changing:
"I'm a complete failure."
to
"I'm struggling right now, but that doesn't mean I'm a failure."
This creates space for self-compassion and a more realistic perspective.
Why CBT Doesn't Work for Everyone
While CBT can be incredibly helpful, it isn't the right fit for every person or every situation.
Some people find that their difficulties are rooted in deeper emotional experiences, relationship patterns, grief, trauma, or long-standing experiences from childhood. In these situations, simply changing thoughts may not fully address what is happening beneath the surface.
This is why many therapists, including myself, work integratively, drawing on CBT where it is helpful while also incorporating other therapeutic approaches that explore emotions, relationships, past experiences, and personal meaning.
How I Use CBT in My Practice
As an integrative therapist, I often use CBT techniques alongside person-centred, psychodynamic, compassion-focused, and other therapeutic approaches.
If a client is experiencing anxiety, self-criticism, or unhelpful thinking patterns, CBT tools can be incredibly useful. At the same time, we may also explore the origins of these patterns, how they developed, and what emotional needs might lie underneath them.
Rather than following a rigid formula, I aim to work collaboratively with each person to find an approach that feels helpful and meaningful for them.
Thinking About Therapy?
If you've been told that CBT might help, it may well be worth exploring. But therapy is rarely one-size-fits-all.
The most important factor is finding a therapeutic relationship where you feel understood, supported, and able to explore what is happening in your life at your own pace.
Whether CBT is part of the journey or not, meaningful change often begins with having a safe space to talk, reflect, and be heard.
If you're curious about whether CBT or another therapeutic approach might suit your needs, feel free to get in touch. Together, we can explore what support might be most helpful for you.