What is the first thing that you think about when you see this image? Paradoxically, to not think something, we first have to think about it.  Thought suppression can create a rebound effect that increases the frequency and intensity of unwanted thoughts and images.  Trying to avoid, suppress or control negative thoughts or images, increases our level of hypervigilance and preoccupation. The “red car“ metaphor helps to understand this point.  If you try not to see red cars on the road during your next journey, what do you predict you will see or notice more of during ..read more

As the number of private CBT clinics and providers continues to increase in response to the demand for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, how can you ensure that you are getting good value for money? Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) continues to set the gold standard in the treatment of anxiety conditions and mood disorders. CBT is highly effective in the treatment of short and long-term problems, providing good psychological insight into the causes of the problem and practical strategies for supporting sustainable change. The research evidence demonstrates that CBT delivers good therapeutic ..read more

How the Cognitive Model is Used in CBT to Tackle Long-term Problems Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a highly structured, time-focused and goal oriented therapeutic approach underpinned by extensive empirical research which clearly demonstrates its efficacy and clinical effectiveness. CBT brings together a wide range of proven cognitive approaches and behavioural strategies to alleviate suffering and improve psychological resilience. The purpose of CBT is to help change problematic patterns of thinking and behaviour and develop adaptive coping strategies for the problems that life prese ..read more

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – CBT for Chronic Pain Chronic pain affects approximately 45% of people living in the UK. This equates to over 28 million individuals suffering with pain symptoms lasting more than three months and causing significant impairment to daily life. This article will explain how our scientific understanding of pain has developed, the difference between acute and chronic pain and the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches that have been developed to significantly improve the management of long-term pain conditions. What is Pain? Pain is a process for alerting the ..read more

Using Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – How to Ensure You Are Working With An Accredited CBT Expert It’s always been important to check your therapist’s CBT credentials and clinical experience before starting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The increase in online CBT following the Coronavirus outbreak now means that this is more important than ever. Introduction The title ‘Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist’ is not yet a protected professional term in the UK. This means that anybody can use the title without the recognised professional qualifications, training, experience or cl ..read more

Coping With Isolation Over the coming weeks and months, many of us will be asked to self-isolate or be instructed to stay at home if we have been infected by the Coronavirus. This will place us under significant pressure and change many of our normal coping mechanisms. So for example, if we are used to engaging in social activities such as  sports, events, bars, shopping, contact with close friends and family, we will need to develop a new approach to maintaining good psychological health to get through the isolation period. At Think CBT we have developed a simple framework to help peo ..read more

CBT and ACT - an integrated strategy Whilst we’ve seen some progress towards process based CBT and a more integrated approach to the different forms of cognitive behavioural therapy, there is still a tendency towards CBT “sectarianism”. In particular, some therapists have argued that ACT is somehow fundamentally different to other forms of CBT. In this brief article I wanted to offer an alternative perspective that supports the process based approach brilliantly outlined in Steve Hayes’ recent book “Process Based CBT”. How ACT and Mainstream CBT Work Together ACT focuses on process and ..read more

Quality Assurance - Why It's Important to Check Therapist Credentials Before Starting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Over the last two years there has been a significant increase in counsellors and therapists offering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  Whilst it's encouraging to see so many therapists from other therapeutic areas finally engaging in CBT, this has also contributed to a level of confusion about what being a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist actually involves. This confusion has been propagated in part by the growth of online therapy and psychology directories.&nb ..read more

There are a growing number of private therapy providers in the UK who are making significant commercial gains out of the employee assistance, legal and insurance sectors by charging hefty fees for the provision of CBT, counselling or psychological services. In our experience, these charges can range from double to four times the amount paid to the therapists providing these services. These charges are typically made by the middle-layer EAP and psychological service providers who operate the administrative gap between the client and the Therapist. We’ve also heard some real horror sto ..read more

Over recent years Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has received popular exposure through TV and social media. This has however contributed to the idea that OCD is a quirky inconvenience or humorous eccentricity. The fact is that this couldn’t be further from the truth. OCD is a highly debilitating anxiety condition which can lead to profound suffering and reduced quality of life. In this article I will briefly outline what OCD is, how it is maintained and how to best treat the problem. To find out more about OCD you can visit our OCD page at https://thinkcbt.com/ocd-cbt-treatment. Wh ..read more