Information for the public
 
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an approach to help people experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties. The basis of CBT is that what people think affects how they feel emotionally and also alters what they do.

During times of mental distress the way the person sees and judges themselves and the things that happens to them alters. Things tend to become more extreme and unhelpful. This can worsen how the person feels and causes them to act in ways that keep their distress going.

CBT practitioners, who come from many training backgrounds, aim to work jointly with the person to help them begin to identify and then change their extreme thinking and unhelpful behaviour. By doing this, the result is a significant improvement in how the person feels and lives their day to day life.
 
Leaflets describing mental health difficulties
You may find the information contained in the leaflets describing mental health difficulties helpful in understanding your problem.
 

How to get help?

First step - Discuss the problem with your doctor. They will be able to advise you on access to local resources and refer you on if appropriate.

Where to get CBT?

Many CBT practitioners work in the NHS. However, some areas still have limited resources. Also, some practitioners provide CBT privately.

You can find a BABCP accredited therapist who works privately by clicking this link.

Please note that other practitioners offering CBT may be registered by other reputable bodies.
 
What is BABCP - British Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapies?
How to become a CBT Therapist?

Many people use CBT approaches within their work. However, at present the only routes recognised by the BABCP in order to become an accredited CBT therapist are as follows:

• Training in the core professions. This is in order to obtain the core professional skills necessary for working in therapeutic practice - such as ethical and safe practice, basic counselling skills, record keeping and an understanding of mental health problems.

• Then training on a listed CBT course that substantially contributes to meeting the minimum training standards for accreditation.

• Some professional training courses include significant elements of CBT in their programme e.g. CBT oriented clinical psychology and some BACP accredited counselling and counselling psychology courses. Therefore the need for extra training on a listed CBT course may not always be necessary.

In order to become accredited the following requirements must be met: Accreditation

 

If any person considers that a member of the Association has acted in breach of the Guidelines for Good Practice of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy or for any other reason ought not to be a member of the Association, that person should contact the BABCP office according to the Association's Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures