Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health conditions.
These include:
- obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- panic disorder
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- phobias
- depression
- eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia
CBT can also be useful in helping people with:
- anger management problems
- habits (such as facial tics)
- drug misuse and alcohol misuse problems
- relationship problems
- sleep problems, such as insomnia
CBT is sometimes used to treat people with long-term health conditions, such as arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of these health conditions, but can help people cope better with their symptoms.
Finding a CBT therapist
The government aims to make counselling and other types of talking therapies, including CBT, more easily available on the NHS. Therefore, access to this type of treatment should improve over the next few years.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is putting thousands more trained therapists into GP surgeries. The scheme will provide easy access to talking treatments on the NHS to those who need it.
Speak to your GP if you feel CBT may be of benefit to you. If your GP thinks it will help you, they can refer you to someone trained in CBT, such as a psychologist, nurse, social worker or psychiatrist.
An alternative option is to seek CBT on a private basis. The British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) keeps a register of all accredited therapists in the UK. The cost of private therapy sessions varies, but it is usually £40-100 per session.
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