Cognitive behavioural therapy can be used effectively for many conditions, particularly major depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, sexual dysfunction, alcohol and substance use disorders, and sleep disorders.
Is medication used alongside cognitive behavioural therapy?
Cognitive behavioural therapy can be used alongside medication or as an alternative to medication following an individual assessment. In some cases, combining medication and cognitive behavioural therapy provides greater benefit than medication alone or therapy alone.
How long does cognitive behavioural therapy last?
The duration of cognitive behavioural therapy is usually agreed upon by the therapist and client based on the assessment carried out during the first few sessions. Treatment generally starts with 1 session per week and lasts around 12-20 sessions on average, depending on the client's needs. However, this can be longer or shorter depending on the client's wishes, their pace of progress and the goal established during the sessions. Once the client begins to make progress, sessions become less frequent. Booster sessions are recommended 3-6 months after therapy ends.
What happens during a cognitive behavioural therapy session?
The client takes a very active role in a cognitive behavioural therapy session. In the first few minutes of each session, the therapist asks you to rate your mood over the previous week in relation to the concern that brought you to therapy. The session is then linked to the previous week's session, and homework is reviewed.
An agenda is set with 1 or at most 2 items to work on. After working on the relevant item using various cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, the session is summarised, feedback is gathered from the client, and homework for the coming week is assigned before the session ends.
