CBT – COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a talking therapy that can help us manage our problems by changing the way we think and feel about a situation and how this affects the way we act.  The underlying concept behind CBT is that our feelings and what we think play a fundamental role in our behaviour, so negative thoughts can cause us distress and result in negative behaviour.  Both the therapist and client work together to change the clients thinking patterns which in turn changes the clients behaviour patterns.

CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a wide range of Mental Health conditions including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Addictions, Depression, Anxiety and Phobias.

At OMC,our approach focuses on Schema Therapy, an innovative integrative therapy that significantly expands on traditional cognitive behavioural treatments and concepts.  The therapy blends elements from cognitive behaviour, attachment, Gestalt, object relations, constructivist and psycho analytic skills into a unifying conceptual treatment model.  Schema therapy provides a system of psychotherapy that is especially well suited to entrenched and chronic psychological disorders.  Our treatment process can includeimagery techniques, letter writing, role play and structure dialogue, pros and cons exercise.  It draws and expands on problem solving cognitive strategies allowing Schema therapy a flexibility to meet and tailor to an individual client needs.  It can draw on various techniques from other experiential therapies including psychodrama and gestalt techniques such as role play and chair work.  The use of reflective client Schema diary and co creation of flash cards to address potential triggers or reframe can serve to provide and support the client with more positive coping strategies.  We may also include regular client homework tasks involving journaling, experimentation, exploration tasks between sessions.  This can lead to useful client insights and understandings new skills and resourcing including new awareness of healthier ways of communicating and relating.