What Is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

 

Linda Atkinson has more than 15 years experiencing working with cognitive behaviour therapy accross a range of settings, problem areas and ages .  She has particular expertise with anxiety disorders including OCD, BDD, health anxiety and trichotillomania (hair pulling).  She also works with trauma and mood disorders and has been clinically supervised by world renowned psychologists and psychiatrists expert in CBT including Professor Paul Salkovskis and Dr David Veale.

 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a scientificially proven short-term talking therapy that usually consists of 6 to 20 treatment sessions.  CBT looks at how we think about a situation and how that affects our feelings and behaviours. In turn, our behaviours can affect how we think and feel. In CBT the psychologist and client work together to change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviours.  

 

When carrying out CBT with a psychologist it is a good idea to record each session on a mobile phone.  Some expert CBT clinics have noticed that people who listen to their recordings may make more progress than those who don't.  

 

Homework is also an important part of CBT.  This involves the client and psychologist identifing helpful tasks to complete between sessions. It can also be helpful for clients to buy a notebook so that they can have a written record of homework and write down helpful things from each session. 

 

What Will Happen If I Make An Appointment?

 

After you make an appointment with Linda Atkinson she will email you a pre-assessment form to fill out.  This form will save you a lot of time in your first session and it is a good idea to email it back to Linda Atkinson at least a few days before your appointment so that she has time to read it.  

 

The first few sessions will focus on assessment.  This means that Linda will ask a series of questions to identify exactly what the problem is and what has been keeping the problem going.  Linda will also explain what CBT is and how it might help with your problems.  Once it becomes clear what is keeping the problem going you will identify several goals to work on each week.  Treatment typically involves anything from 6 to 20 sessions; however, this can vary depending on your needs and the pace at which you feel comfortable to work.  

 

Linda Atkinson will monitor your progress by asking you to fill in several questionnaires that are revelant to your problem.  This way you can see how well you are progressing and you can quickly identify areas that need to be worked on.  

 

As you reach the end of treatment the sessions will focus on relapse prevention.  This means preparing you for the possiblity of the problem coming back by learning to identify early warning signs and developing a plan for how you will cope before the problem has time to impact on your life.  

 

Once treatment is complete, it is normal to arrange a follow-up session a few months later so that you can review progress and receive support regarding any setbacks.

 

If you would like to contact Linda Atkinson to make an appointment please click the following link