The Child & Family CBT Service provides:

 

Individual CBT

For children, parents or adults seeking support for their own issues.  There is no age limit although with very young children parents usually need to be actively involved in treatment.

Group Work For Children

• Cool Connections With CBT  (for children with mild anxiety, low mood or self esteem issues)
• Therapeutic Stories (aimed at young children using metaphorical stories & fun activities. Covers a number of issues from making friends to loss & upset feelings).
• Seeing Red (help for young children with frustration and/or anger
• Overcoming bulling
• Muddles & Puddles (help for young children who have been bereaved)
• Rainbows (helping with loss & separation)
• Activity Groups (fun type activities helping with self esteem and providing positive experiences)

Groups For Parents

• Parenting group 0-6  or  5-15 Programmes  (Family Centre Trust Programme)
• The Parent Assertiveness Programme
• The Parenting Teenagers Programme
• Cool Connections With CBT for grown ups

 

What is CBT

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy. It can help people who are experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties. What people think can affect how they feel and how they behave. This is the basis of CBT. During times of mental distress, people think differently about themselves and what happens to them. Thoughts can become extreme and unhelpful. This can worsen how a person feels. They may then behave in a way that prolongs their distress. CBT practitioners help each person identify and change their extreme thinking and unhelpful behaviour. In doing this, the result is often a major improvement in how a person feels and lives. (Taken from the BABCP.com website, 2009).

Principles and Benefits of CBT

CBT involves development of a shared understanding or formulation of a client’s problem. This understanding should inform both therapist and client regarding treatment. CBT encourages exploration of different ways of thinking and therapists are encouraged to be non-judgemental in response to the children’s thoughts and feelings. There are no right or wrong answers in CBT although some ways of thinking may be more useful in certain situations than others. CBT intends to increase an awareness of thoughts, feelings, body signals and actions. It is suggested that through this awareness change can be initiated. Although it is in the nature of children to think in polarized (black and white) ways, CBT aims to encourage broader and more flexible thinking (looking for shades of grey) that promotes more acceptance and/or compassion towards the self and others and consequently creates a reduction in anxiety and/or stress levels. (Taken from the book Cool Connections with CBT, 2008).

 

Benefits:(research suggests CBT is helpful)

• CBT is considered a very effective treatment for most psychiatric or psychological difficulties including anxiety, depression, OCD, self esteem, eating disorders, anger, abuse etc
• Children feel better about themselves
• Children become more self aware and have a better understanding of their thoughts and feelings thus leading to improved emotional literacy
• Children learn strategies and new ways to cope
• Behaviour improves – less time need by parents/teachers offering additional support
• Learning and emotional well-being can be made the priority as the worries and anxieties are dealt with
• Reduced risk of further emotional/mental health difficulties in the future
• Less involvement/time away from school seeing outside professionals (CAMHS etc)
• Support for parents/teachers ideas for how best to help children