Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Therapy

We can't always sort our problems out by ourselves. We like to think that we are rational beings and so we should be able to think these things out, but there is a very good reason why this isn't as easy as it might seem...

Facing up to subconscious issues takes guts, honesty and persistence - therapy is NOT an easy option.

Conscious/Subconscious

The mind has two parts: the conscious and the subconscious. A useful analogy is an iceberg. The conscious mind is the bit that sticks out of the water. The subconscious mind is the big bit hidden away underneath the surface.

The subconscious is where all the things that you have learnt to do without thinking are done. For instance, when you first drove a car, you had to consciously work out how to use each new control.

As your driving skills developed, you handed more and more control over to your subconscious mind. Now you are so proficient that you can drive, navigate and talk to your passenger all at the same time!

Subconscious in Control

Surprisingly, it is the subconscious that is in control of our behaviour most of the time. Once you realise that, a lot of things begin to make sense.

Go back to the iceberg analogy; if the little bit at the top wants to go one way and the huge bit at the bottom wants to go the other way, guess who's going to win? That's why it is difficult to make fundamental changes without professional help.

Therapy is Not an Easy Option

Likewise, if you think you have a behavior problem and you have tried and failed to sort it out yourself, you might want to try therapy. However, you should be warned that therapy is not an easy option...

Facing up to the fact that there is a problem takes gumption. Looking for help from a therapist is positively courageous. Facing up to subconscious issues takes guts, honesty and persistence. Therapy is NOT an easy option.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavior Therapy takes even more guts and determination than conventional psychotherapy. The therapy consists of a graded series of exercises aimed at desensitising your particular area of difficulty.

Let's imagine that you have difficulty in a crowd. The therapy might then start with you putting yourself in a room with the smallest number of people that you can tolerate and staying there for an hour.

Day by day you would put yourself in more and more difficult situations, gradually becoming able to tolerate more and more.

After a few weeks, your behavioural problem gradually eases. Typically, you eventually get to the point where your unconscious mind decides that it's not going to be an issue for you anymore.

There's no drugs and therefore no side-effects or dependency issues. You work at your own pace, and the exercises can be done whenever and wherever you choose. The improvement is as far-reaching and permanent as you want it to be - you are in control!

Get the Life You Want! now has a therapist trained in the use of CBT, and you can contact him on the usual number (see below).