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Introducing CBT | Therapy In Altrincham

Updated: Oct 3

CBT is a psychotherapy that has worldwide recognition as a leading intervention for a range of mental health and emotional difficulties.


But what exactly is CBT?


Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that was developed by the American psychiatrist Aaron Beck. It treats common mental health problems such as Depression, OCD, Anxiety, Phobias, Panic, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Eating Disorders and Self Esteem Difficulties.  CBT works by discovering the maintaining factors of your problem, these factors are then categorised into: Thoughts, Feelings, Behaviours.

I’m always really curious about what my clients think about their situations, how this impacts on their feelings and how this effects their behaviour.  Breaking a situation down in this way can make things a lot clearer and really help to build insight.

introducing CBT

For example:



Client – I walked into work and just felt like crap.

Me – That sounds tough, what was going on?

Client – I just felt so low, like what’s the point, every day is just rubbish, I mess up all the time, I have no friends there…

Me – What was it like for you, to have that thought?

Client – It just made me think that things were never going to get better.

Me – What did you do?

Client – I just kept my head down, basically clock-watched until 5pm, then went home, got into bed and didn’t speak to anyone.

Me – It sounds like a long and hard day. How did you feel then?

Client – Kind of better because I just can’t face the world but kind of worse, it just made me dread the next day, thinking it will just be the same.

Me – It sounds like you were coping the best way you knew how but the difficult thoughts just kept on coming. Were you experiencing any other difficult thoughts or feelings?

Client- Yeah, the thoughts were relentless, then I started feeling guilty about not replying to messages from friends and family and I just felt awful.



Once you and your therapist have spoken about your problems, they’re drawn up so you can see how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours connect.

CBT cycle

CBT cycle of Depression


You and your therapist then work together to change the thoughts and behaviours. Changing these can have a really positive effect on your feelings.

If you have Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Phobias, OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder or PTSD, CBT has a really strong research base for treating these difficulties.


What’s great about CBT is it really helps you to gain insight into what has been keeping your difficulties going. It also gives you lots of ideas and techniques about how to challenge negative thinking patterns, allowing you to feel more confident about your mental health.



  1. Have a look at different websites to get a feel for who you want to work with.  Do you want a male or female therapist, someone around the same age, online therapy or face to face?

  2. Once you have found someone you think could help you, give them a call! This way, you get a taster of what it feels like talking to them.  Most therapists offer a free telephone consultation which can give you a chance to ask them any questions.

  3. A top tip of mine is to look for therapists who are BABCP accredited. This is the gold standard of accreditation for CBT therapists. Having BABCP accreditation demonstrates the therapist’s training, qualifications and commitment to ongoing professional development,

  4. Check the pricing. CBT therapists will charge £70+ per session. This is a reflection of their training, experience and expertise in the field. Therapists charging below this will typically not be accredited by the BABCP and may have only had a small amount of training in CBT.

  5. Read blog posts. Lots of therapists have blogs to help clients find out about how they work and what they offer. Reading these is a great way to “hear” your future therapist’s “voice” and initially connect with them.



If you live in Altrincham, Cheshire or South Manchester and are looking for an accredited CBT therapist, my office is based in Hale Village.

Contact me for a free consultation.

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