Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Counselling Sydney
New Vision Psychology offers cognitive behavioural therapy in Sydney for children and adults.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy, also known as CBT, is therapeutic modality suited to individuals who find themselves trapped in a cycle of maladaptive thoughts or unhelpful thinking patterns that can’t be broken, which in turn affect their feelings, behaviour and actions.
Often associated with managing a wide variety of mental health concerns including depression and anxiety, CBT endeavours to help people identify cognitive distortions and view their problems in a realistic and constructive manner to make them more manageable.
Our Session Fees
A standard session at New Vision Psychology is 50-minutes in duration.
Registered Psychologist
$146.65*
Registered Psychologist
$240*
Clinical Psychologist
$142.95*
Clinical Psychologist
$280*
How does cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) work?
Cognitive behaviour therapy teaches you how to identify a negative thought pattern and how to break it. This is done by creating and implementing a personalised set of problem-solving habits unique to each individual.
The core components of CBT include:
Psychoeducation
This is about educating the individual about their mental health condition and CBT principles. By developing more self-awareness about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, you feel more empowered to manage your symptoms.
Cognitive restructuring
Unhelpful thinking patterns are linked to our actions and can manifest in different ways. Some common cognitive distortions include catastrophising, overgeneralisation and black-and-white thinking. For instance, some people may have an all-or-nothing approach, where they see a situation as totally black or white. If they were to attempt a task, they may see the outcome as either perfect or a complete disaster, without any in-between. CBT encourages more realistic thinking and teaches techniques to pull away from maladaptive thoughts, feelings and actions.
Behavioural activation
This involves increasing engagement in activities that promote positive emotions to counteract the effects of depression and anxiety. You may be encouraged to develop your connection to activities that you enjoy and excel in, and decrease participation in activities that flare up your negative thinking.
Relaxation and stress management techniques
To help relax the mind we also relax the body. You may learn techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, guided imagery sessions and progressive muscle relaxation to effectively manage stress.
Exposure therapy
This is particularly helpful for overcoming fears, phobias and anxiety. The psychologist will safely and gradually expose you to things that trigger the feeling of fear and then coach you through how to deal with those feelings. This can be done in three stages – imagining the situation, demonstrating the situation, and being in the situation. This creates a sense of confidence as you learn to cope with those triggers over time.
How does CBT differ from other types of therapy?
CBT is a structured, goal-oriented approach focused on solving current problems. CBT puts emphasis on present issues and how to develop effective ways for you to combat them.
Using strategies such as role-playing, psychologists reinforce newly learned techniques to break negative thinking cycles. By acting out certain scenarios with you, you can practice new positive thinking approaches and behaviour.
CBT is also meticulously planned out. There isn’t an emphasis on free-form talking, but instead, specific problems are targeted, and then purposeful goals are set to try and offset and eliminate the problem.
There is a huge focus on collaboration and working together as a unit with your psychologist. In doing so, you both work to identify and find solutions for your current troubles.
What is CBT most appropriate for?
Cognitive behavioural therapy is most appropriate for those who are experiencing:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Severe mental illness
- Bipolar disorder
- Eating disorders
- Phobias
- Substance abuse
- Relationship issues
- Extreme anger issues
- Schizophrenia
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
These disorders all impact a person’s thinking, often leading to negative thoughts and the need for CBT.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is also appropriate for those who are suffering from debilitating physical alignments that can affect their outlook on life. For instance, migraines, insomnia, chronic pain and chronic fatigue.
Our CBT psychologists & counsellors in Sydney
Dr Katie Chung
Clinical Psychologist
Josephine Choy
Registered Psychologist
Elysia Sproule
Registered Psychologist
Meitty Parman
Registered Psychologist
Kristy Zimmer
Registered Psychologist
Tode Levkovski
Registered Psychologist
Farzana Rita
Registered Psychologist
What to expect with your first appointment
Your first cognitive behavioural therapy session may include the following:
Introduction and discussion of concerns
Your psychologist will start getting to know you by asking questions about yourself and the purpose of your visit. They will start building rapport with you so that you establish a comfortable and trusting connection, essential to therapy success.
Assessment
You will be asked about your symptoms and current coping strategies.
Talk about CBT
If appropriate, your psychologist will tell you about the purpose of CBT and how it can be applied to your specific situation.
Goal setting
You and your psychologist will set goals for what you want to work on during sessions.
Treatment plan
Your psychologist will share with you a customised treatment plan, including strategies for you to implement.
Homework
You may be assigned ‘homework’, which could include practising particular skills, keeping a thought diary, monitoring specific behaviours or doing worksheets relating to your treatment plan.
Looking For A Psychologist Near You?
New Vision Psychology can help with 5 convenient locations across Sydney.
Explore our locations