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"Cognitive behaviour therapy was never something I would have considered doing as I have always had counselling but after my first session, I can already feel it is the right therapy for me" - Kathleen Sleigh
Today I had my first cognitive behavioural therapy session. After two years of counselling and the same repetitive negative behaviours continuing thereafter I realised that perhaps counselling wasn't the best form of therapy for me. What a mental health care worker in Devon helped me understand is that counselling explores past experiences and traumas whereas CBT explores the NOW and what you can change in your behaviour now. She mentioned to me that counselling is harder than CBT for the reason that you explore some really difficult issues and that CBT is a recommended approach to take to be able to handle counselling and for it to have a beneficial impact on you. It was this realisation that made me investigate and research CBT more and later book myself an appointment.
I am sure a lot of you have heard of CBT before. For those of you who don't know exactly what it is it is a form of therapy aimed at people with anxiety and depression (in which I was diagnosed with late last year) and helps break the cycle of negative thoughts affecting your behaviours. After doing my research I realised how much this therapy will impact me because of the activities involved to tackle this thought cycle and what it aims to achieve. Not only that, but for someone who normally ruminates on her thoughts, this is the perfect therapy to break that cycle.
My session went for one hour and at first I was a bit unsure because I felt like my therapist was being a counsellor from the start as he brought up some things from the past but as the session went on, I realised how beneficial and practical it was which was fantastic. I won't go into too much detail as you will all be here forever and the information is confidential however, what I can tell you is is that I was very insightful about a lot of the topics that my therapist brought up. A lot of it to do with relationships and how my self worth has been dependant on them for example. Even though I have worked pretty hard on my own to let go of negative through processes, CBT will be able to help me understand the reasons behind that pattern of behaviour and what I can do to change that.
I know of a few people who have done CBT and have said it changed their lives for the greater good and they have never looked back. I have a really good feeling about this therapy and I think it will change my life for the better.
Love and light,
Kat
XXX