Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a primary component within my practice. A great thing about CBT is that it is unashamedly thieving. CBT allows its practitioners to use what works for clients from other theories and therapy models. So, I also incorporate Internal Family Systems and Brainspotting whenever needed. Because everyone is different, I adjust the interventions to fit each individual’s needs.

Contents:

What is CBT?

How CBT Works

What to Expect in CBT Sessions

What I Do Differently

What is CBT?

CBT is based on the premise that our situation, thoughts, emotions, physiology, and behaviour are interconnected. Changing one of these parts impacts the others. For example, modifying our thoughts alters how we react, our situation, and our mood.

CBT suggests that our experiences early in life shape our beliefs about ourselves, the world, and others. These core beliefs stay with us throughout our lives and profoundly affect the way that we think, feel, and act.

For instance, an experience such as abuse by a relative may result in an enduring distrust of others. We may feel lonely and want to make friends but whenever people are nice to us, we suspect they have malevolent motives. As a result, we react defensively towards them or push them away. Our negative biases and self-defeating behaviour lead us to feel hopeless and depressed.

How CBT Works 

CBT helps clients uncover their core beliefs, negative thinking patterns, and self-defeating behaviours. Once recognised, CBT helps clients change them to healthier, more realistic alternatives. It’s a science-driven approach, using discovery, experimentation, and adjustment to help clients create positive behavioural habits and new ways of thinking. Healthier behaviour reinforces clients’ healthier mindset and they feel better as a result.

What I Do Differently

CBT techniques focus largely on changing our thinking and behaviour. My professional experience has taught me that focusing solely on these elements is not enough. By adding components of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting, Monkey therapy also addresses difficult emotions, neurological workings, and relational patterns.

IFS focuses on the deeper emotional parts of us that don’t respond to logical thinking. The process teaches us how to access the emotional resilience that is innate in all of us, fostering qualities such as compassion, curiosity, and calmness. IFS heals long-held emotional wounds and teaches clients to how to sooth intense emotional reactions.

Some our emotional wounds are deeply buried and difficult to access. Brainspotting is a neuroprocessing intervention that targets specific emotional stuck points hidden in deeper regions of the brain. It is a simple yet powerful process, desensitising past triggers and strengthening resilience to stressors.

Monkey therapy offers a holistic healing experience that fosters clients’ inner resilience and self-confidence, resulting in deeper self-awareness, greater personal effectiveness, and enhanced emotional well-being.