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As an experienced CBT therapist in Swindon and online, I have helped countless clients engage with their depression and reach a better place. It is never an easy process; depression is a complex phenomenon, and comes in different forms, such as clinical depression, seasonal affective disorder, post natal depression, and bipolar disorder depression. No one case is exactly the same, but what I have learned, over the years, is that CBT therapy can be an extremely effective form of treatment for depression.

Along with being the most empirically supported form of therapy, CBT gives us a structured way of working that enables the therapist to guide the client towards gradually replacing negative thought patterns with more positive interpretations of themselves, other people, and the wider world.

And so, if you are feeling sad, unmotivated, or struggle with other problems linked to depression, here are three ways how my CBT therapy in Swindon or online can help you.

Distinguish Facts From Opinions

CBT is essentially about helping you cope better in the here and now – to manage those nasty thoughts about yourself or other people that seem automatic and immediate. And a crucial way of doing that is through increasing your awareness of the difference between facts and opinions.

Working in a collaborative fashion, we will recognise how the thoughts you have are not facts but opinions you hold about yourself based on your emotions. Saying to yourself, for example, that you’re “not good enough” can be responded to with a fact-checking approach – one acknowledging that this belief is not based on any empirical fact. Having this mindfulness around the difference between facts and opinions in this way is a crucial first step in my CBT therapy in Swindon with clients who are depressed.

Challenge Thinking Patterns

Depression causes us to become stuck in a loop of negative thought patterns that only serve to reinforce our low mood. When we think negatively all the time, the negativity ends up having power over you. This unhelpful way of thinking becomes the norm, and you start to genuinely believe these mean thoughts about yourself and others.

With CBT therapy in Swindon, I create a friendly, confidential space where we can examine and challenge these thoughts, enabling clients to understand the cognitive patterns that underpin their depression. Our work will involve analysing the triggers that sit behind these thoughts, eventually getting to a place where we can understand the reality of the situation. Working with me in this way helps the client to develop more rational perspectives on their own thoughts, thereby building healthier patterns of thinking for the future.

More Energy

Along with helping people change their cognitive patterns, CBT therapy in Swindon also focuses on changing behaviour, and in particular rewarding behavioural changes – even small ones, like going for a walk or cleaning up one’s room. Depression is often characterised by a lack of motivation or low energy, making healthy patterns much harder to stick to. Changing them for the better will mean you have more energy in your body and feel less weighed down on a daily basis.

Are you struggling with depression? Do you need help climbing out of a dark place? If so, I am here to provide compassionate CBT therapy in Swindon or online. Feel free to get in touch to set up an initial consultation. 

Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, clients are starting to return to in-person CBT therapy in Swindon, whereas others continue to prefer speaking to me over Zoom from the comfort of their own home. Many people like this way of working; they are used to having sessions virtually, and it works nicely for them. Others, however, were dying to return to my practice during those lockdowns.

If you are about to reach out for CBT therapy in Swindon, you might be fretting over which way of working suits you better. It’s not an easy decision! You might not know which kind of delivery is more suited to your needs and personality. And so, to help you make a decision that is right for you, we will explore the merits of each format in this blog post.

CBT on Zoom

If this is the first time you’ve sought CBT, or any kind of therapy for that matter, and find it anxiety-inducing to visit a new place, you may be best-served starting off online – from the comfort of your own home. Receiving CBT on Zoom means you can choose a place where you feel safe. If you’re at ease, you’ll consequently be more able to walk through difficult scenarios and express the associated thought patterns. The whole process will feel a lot easier to start off with.

And, of course, it’s also convenient. Online CBT allows for greater flexibility. You don’t have to worry about spending time or money travelling to and from my Swindon practice. If you have a busy schedule, as most people do, CBT on Zoom allows you to avoid the annoyance of missing a session due to unexpected commitments.

CBT From My Swindon Practice

As an experienced CBT therapist in Swindon, I have mainly seen clients on a face-to-face basis, and many prefer this way of working, because they find it easier to make genuine progress in sessions. Being in the same room as me places more emphasis on you to take an active role in sessions and do the important work that successful CBT requires. You will feel more ‘in the moment’, as it were, making it more likely that you’ll get something valuable from each session.

We also have to consider the fact that, for a lot of people, their home life isn’t peaceful, and that visiting my Swindon practice might be the only bit of solace they experience all week. In this sense, going to a dedicated place to receive CBT can serve as an important weekly ritual that keeps a client grounded. They associate my treatment room with a sense of progress, and self-care, so coming back to that physical space each week is rather important for some.

Still not sure about whether you should have CBT in Swindon or online? If so, feel free to give me a call and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

When people hear the words ‘Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’, or CBT, they might feel slightly confused, or even intimidated. It can seem quite scientific and perhaps even a bit cold, but the truth is that CBT is a pretty simple, compassionate form of therapy. It is also the most widely researched and empirically backed up therapeutic modality out there, and has helped so many people manage issues like anxiety, depression, addiction, and low self-esteem.

As an experienced CBT therapist in Swindon and online, I have seen first-hand how effective this form of therapy can be. And I have also seen how misunderstood it can be as well! And so, to help you understand how CBT works, this blog walks you through what I offer my clients as a face-to-face therapist in Swindon.

What is CBT?

CBT is essentially a talking therapy that encourages the client to take an active role in the process. Its central goal is to change the way you think about yourself and others in the present moment. Our work together will involve looking at the negative thought patterns that you experience on a daily basis and understanding the impact they have on your behaviour, emotions, and general outlook on life. The process is highly structured, with us walking through specific thought patterns and formulating new modes of thinking that apply to your particular situation.

We may employ journaling or some other exercise to facilitate the process. What we are doing, in essence, is challenging your automatically negative interpretations of situations and events ahead of replacing them with more rational, compassionate thoughts. We are essentially training your brain to be nicer to itself! Doing this puts you in a better place to deal with difficult situations and feelings when they show up.

How Does It Help?

You are given the tools to control how you interpret and deal with your own thoughts. You become more aware of the internal cognitive processes that over time can lead to problems like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, PTSD, substance abuse, and others. With my help in a private, non-judgmental space, you can become more equipped to spot certain patterns and prevent them from having a destructive role in your life. In other words, CBT gives you more control.

Someone with a drug addiction, for example, would benefit from the way CBT makes them aware of certain triggers and supplies them with coping skills in moments where they may be encouraged to relapse – like social situations. It is not an easy process; it takes time to integrate these lessons into your life, but staying loyal to this framework has been shown to bring you to a better place.

And so, if you are struggling with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, addiction, or any trauma-related issue, I am here to provide compassionate, personalised CBT therapy in Swindon. Feel free to get in touch and we will set up an initial consultation.