Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Gold Coast

CBT for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is like a warm, comforting blanket for those living with PTSD. It's all about shifting how you perceive your trauma, making it a bit easier to bear. CBT is your own personal compass tool, helping you navigate your reactions to those reminders of your trauma.

This type of therapy is akin to shining a light in a dark room, helping you understand your feelings a bit better. This can take away some of the edge from panic that might sneak up on you in your everyday life. With CBT, your reactions aren't as harsh; they become more manageable.

And you know those avoidance behaviours? The ones that might make you steer clear from anything that brings up memories of your trauma? CBT helps tone those down too. This can help reduce that feeling of being alone or wanting to withdraw, and make dealing with trauma triggers a smoother journey. All in all, CBT can give people with PTSD the boost they need to function optimally in their day-to-day life.

Cognitive Therapy for Mental Health

CBT, or cognitive-behavioural therapy, is a treatment for mental health disorders that helps us to recognise and shake off any harmful or distressing ways of thinking that may be dragging us down. 

We all have those moments when life throws curveballs our way, and we start feeling kinda down and out like we just can't crack the code of our problems. This is where CBT steps in. It encourages us to deal with negative feelings by creating a healthier balance in our thoughts, making it easier for us to deal with those stressful times. 

It's a great tool for teens and adults who might be dealing with emotional, mental or even psychiatric struggles, including anxiety and depression. If you’re still not sure if cognitive behavioural therapy is right for your mental health disorder, get in touch so we can talk things through.

CBT and Anxiety Disorders

Learning how to deal with anxiety can be somewhat like learning to ride a bike. We all wobble and fall at some point, and that's perfectly okay. But imagine if you could put training wheels on your mind, helping you steady those anxious thoughts and feelings? That's where Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) comes in.

Just as we all have our share of 'bad days', anxiety can sneak up on anyone. But the cool thing is, you've got the power to turn that around. You can press pause on a moment - you get to take a breather and decide how to react. It's not so much about the situation, but how you think about it.

You see, when we keep thinking negatively about something, we start building these patterns. This can happen a lot with anxiety disorders. But with cognitive therapy, you become a pro at spotting these patterns and can work on changing them.

And the best part? These habits stop repeating over time. So, anxiety becomes less of a mystery monster, and more of a hiccup you can manage. It's basically a way of rewiring your thoughts to better deal with situations.

Find a therapist who knows CBT thoroughly, and you'll soon be using your new effective tool to manage your mental health in your own life daily. Plus, you can use these stress management and coping skills in other situations down the line when anxiety symptoms are recognised.

Your Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Journey

CBT might not work like magic for everyone, but there are ways you can assist in making your therapy sessions worthwhile and getting the most out of it. 

Look at therapy as a team sport. A doubles match in tennis, you and your therapist, against the world. A lot of success hinges on you being engaged, and co-driving decisions. Collaborate with your therapist to identify the big issues and strategise how to serve them right. 

Avoid keeping secrets from your therapist. Your progress in therapy is tied to your openness - all your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Even if sharing makes your heart pound or your skin crawl, let your therapist in on your secrets.

Stick to your game plan. Therapy sessions sometimes might not be what you feel up for, especially if you're in a funk. But it's really important to resist the urge to duck out. Each session is a stepping stone towards your goal. Put some thought into what you'd like to chat about in therapy.

No magic potions here. Sorting out emotional knots can be a bit tricky and needs some elbow grease. It's okay if you feel tangled at first, as you start to unravel past and current emotional crossroads, things will, with time, come loose.

Put in work even during days-off. Tasks your therapist assigns for you to do in your downtime - like reading, journaling and more - are a shortcut to progress. 

Have a chat with your therapist if you think therapy is hitting a brick wall. If after a few sessions you don't see any positive shifts, talk it out with your therapist, and maybe you can change tack or try a new strategy.