Frequestly Asked Questions

1. What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a practical and goal-oriented therapy that helps you deal with problems by looking at them from a different perspective. It’s a problem-focused therapy that tackles issues by asking you to build awareness of and make changes in the way you think, feel and behave.

A fundamental idea in CBT is that you respond to the world in line with the thoughts that you have about what is happening. So it’s important to first notice the types of thoughts your mind is producing.

In therapy sessions I will help you change the way you think and talk about problems by changing your thinking. We will accomplish this by challenging core beliefs, modifying unhelpful thinking habits and altering meta-cognitions (thoughts about thinking). New ways of thinking can bring about changes in your mood, your feelings and your behaviour.

• CBT will help you learn about more about your brain — your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physiological responses.

• You will learn about different levels of thinking and how to manage them.

• You will learn about emotions, emotional reactions and how to manage them.

• You will understand more about your immediate reactions to events and people.

• You will understand more about others’ actions and their responses.

• You will learn skills, tools and strategies that will help you manage your thoughts and feelings.

In CBT we will work together, building your skill levels and understanding so that eventually you can be your own therapist.

Learn more about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy at the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Self-Help Resources.

2. What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

ACT is a therapy that asks you to shift your perspective about how you deal with your problems and to try out new (and sometimes counter-intuitive) solutions. In ACT we ask you to use mindfulness-based approaches that emphasise your ability to be present, focused and in the Now. A mindful approach to your experience means you are gently curious, open to what might happen next and able to focus flexibly on the world around you.

When you are being mindful you are building an awareness of your experience in the moment, and this awareness exists without judgment, evaluation or analysis. Think of this awareness as your brain noticing in a gentle, caring manner all the thoughts that are going through your head and all the ideas and stories that your brain likes to revisit. Think of this awareness as noticing in a gentle, caring manner all the feelings that your body is experiencing — all without making judgments or evaluations of any kind.

When we use ACT in therapy we also focus on the things that are important to you. We want to know what truly matters to you so your life can become meaningful and fulfilling. To help us do this, we may work with your values in the session and translate important values into goals and activities that you can build into your day-to-day living.

Learn more about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy at the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science.

3. What is it like being in therapy?

Our therapy sessions will focus on talking (so we need to be able to communicate well in English). We will discuss issues so that together we can better understand what is happening, and you can move ahead knowing that you have support and understanding. It’s a collaborative process — where we both take responsibility for how the session will go and how we will best manage the time.

In our sessions, you will learn the skills and strategies you need to effectively manage your thoughts and feelings — however, you will progress faster when you practice these skills outside of our sessions. Therapy works most effectively when you play an active role — the more effort you put into working with your new skills, the more results you will see.

It is important that we establish a trusting and safe relationship in which you feel free to share and that supports you as you make changes. You can ask questions at any time — therapy works best when you take an active role, directing the activities we do and the direction that we move in.

CBT focuses a lot on sharing skills and strategies that you can use in the future so that eventually you can ‘go it alone.’

4. How many sessions will I need?

It is up to you how long you want to work in therapy. People use therapy in many different ways.

First, it is important that you feel that we can work together effectively — so it’s a good idea to book the first session and decide from there whether you want to continue with the therapy process.

One or two sessions – If you are planning to only have one or two sessions, you will get much more out of them if we both know what we are trying to achieve. So it is best to discuss at the beginning of the first session exactly what you want to talk about and how you think I can help you.

Without a detailed assessment and an understanding of what is happening with you, I can only talk about your situation in a general (rather than individualised) way.

Four sessions – Research shows that a brief solution-focused approach can bring about significant changes in as few as four sessions. If you can commit to a series of four sessions I will be able to work with you in a focused and individualised way — by using a multifaceted assessment process, analysing assessment inventories and results, and constructing a case analysis. In four sessions, you will understand more about your brain and learn fundamental skills and strategies that you can use to change the way you approach problems and difficult situations.

My work with you is always more rewarding for both of us when we achieve noticeable results — I feel we will achieve more and can make better sense of what is happening with you when we can work consistently across a group of four sessions. Therefore, I have decided to discount a series of four sessions — please see the four-session solution below.

Four+ sessions – If you are working with a long-standing problem, or are feeling emotionally unstable or overwhelmed, you may need more than four sessions. Further sessions can help you learn more about yourself and your brain, develop a more comprehensive skill base, learn to practice those skills, understand more about where problems and thinking habits may have come from, and help you improve relationships with those around you. It’s a good idea to book these on a ‘when-I-need-it’ basis.

Remember that once you have a basic understanding of what is happening in your brain and you are more aware of your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, you can follow up yourself with information from books and the Internet. When you become familiar with your brain (and understand more about how it processes the information around you) you may want to work on extending this knowledge for many years to come.

5. Four-session solution

While it’s hard to predict how many sessions you may need, my experience has shown me that a series of four sessions can make a meaningful difference for many people. Over those four sessions, by using a brief, solution-focused approach, most people can expect to see a significant change in their problem (unless we are working with long-standing issues that may require more intensive, long-term therapy).

Although one or two sessions also are helpful for many people, I find I can work more effectively when I have time to assess, analyse and conceptualise (put together theoretically and practically) what is happening with you. I can then understand better what’s going on, target the interventions needed and individualise the exercises and skills that we’ll work on. Therefore, I have decided to discount a series of four sessions — so that I can work more effectively and so we can achieve better results together.

Here’s how it might work.

• Pay as you go: You pay for the sessions as we go, and the fourth session will be discounted.

• Pay in advance: At the end of the first session, if you are keen to work with me, you can pay for four sessions in advance - and obtain a discount.

6. Things are really bad for me. Is there any hope?

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when there is a lot going on or you are feeling troubled or constantly unhappy. The hardest part will probably be moving ahead to do something about it. Try to think only of one step at a time — the first (and most difficult) step is to get started.

Take this first step. When your mind tells you about all the things that are wrong or all the things that won’t work, remind it gently that you are just taking the first step, and that is enough for now.

Therapy will help — by providing you with a new perspective on what is happening, providing you with new models of thinking and feeling, and helping you work with better thoughts and feelings about yourself.

7. What about confidentiality?

Everything that you share with me in sessions is confidential — as a psychology professional I am bound by my ethical responsibilities to maintain confidentiality at all times. It is important that you feel safe and free to talk about things that are happening with you.

8. How can I pay?

Payment must be made at the time of the appointment.

I accept credit cards or cash. I do not take insurance. However, I can provide receipts for you so that you can claim it on your insurance.

9. What if i need to re-schedule or cancel?

If you need to change your appointment, please let me know 24 hours in advance. If you do not cancel your appointment within 24 hours, you may be charged for the session. 

Have a different question? Contact me.