One of the key principals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is that it is collaborative in nature. By this it means that both client and therapist should be working alongside each other to work towards the client's goals, as opposed to a therapist providing instructions and 'fixes'. CBT is built on a strong therapeutic relationship, where the client feels comfortable to speak openly about their difficulties so that as the therapist I can help identify patterns that could be having a negative impact. In CBT it is often said that there are two experts in the room, the client who is an expert on themselves, and the therapist who is knowledgeable in CBT. By bringing these two experts together in a collaborative manner, it enhances the impact CBT can have on the individual.

Often CBT can be referred to as a 'doing' therapy. By this it means that clients are expected to continue their work outside of therapy sessions in order to maximise the benefits from therapy. For example: As a CBT therapist I can provide the tools and knowledge to overcome panic attacks when entering a busy environment, however if the individual does not look to gradually place themselves in increasingly challenging situations to try out their new 'tools' then they likely will not make as much progress as an individual that took themselves to two busy environments between their weekly sessions. However, please do not worry, as this is where the collaboration comes back into play and as your therapist, you will never be asked to do something that feels beyond your current ability. We will always thoroughly discuss what feels doable at each stage of therapy so that you are working towards your goals in manageable steps.