Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy. It’s based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and actions are linked, and if you change one of these, you can improve the others. To achieve this, CBT gives you practical tools to handle the challenges of everyday life.

It is often used to treat anxiety, depression, and conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

CBT can help many people and is especially useful if you’re dealing with:

• Anxiety, such as social anxiety or general worry.
• Depression, as it’s great for breaking negative thought cycles.
• OCD, as it can help you manage intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as it provides tools to process trauma.
• Phobias, like fear of heights or public speaking.
• Long-term health conditions, such as chronic pain, as it gives you ways to handle the mental impact of physical discomfort.
• Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis.
• Borderline personality disorder.
•  Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia ^{Footnote [1]}.

But CBT isn’t for everyone. It might not suit you if you:

• Prefer exploring your past and deeper emotional issues.
• Need immediate help for a crisis and can’t commit to practicing  techniques.
• Struggle with structured approaches or don’t enjoy “homework” outside of sessions.

CBT sessions are straightforward and focus on your goals. In your first session, your therapist gets to know you and your mental health needs.  They might ask about situations that make you feel anxious or stressed.

In later sessions, you might:

• Explore your thoughts to learn how your thoughts affect your feelings and actions.
• Practice techniques together. Your therapist may also ask you to try strategies between sessions.
• Solve problems together and work on practical ways to handle difficult situations.

CBT aims to teach you how to manage your own mental health by giving you practical tools and strategies. Practicing what you learn outside therapy is key to getting the most out of it.

The length of CBT depends on your needs. A typical course lasts 6-20 sessions ^{Footnote [1]}. Some people need fewer sessions, while others may need longer-term support.

Short-term CBT is great for tackling specific challenges, like exam stress or recovering from an injury. Longer courses can help you to manage ongoing issues, like chronic anxiety or depression.

Your therapist will review your progress regularly to make sure the approach is working for you.

Health insurance can make CBT more affordable, helping you access the support you need.

At Aviva, our health insurance covers you for up to £2,000 of outpatient mental health treatments like CBT. If your insurance doesn’t cover CBT, there are other options to explore: private therapy, workplace wellness programs, or NHS services might also be able to help.

If you’re unsure whether your health insurance policy covers CBT, you should check the terms of your policy or contact your insurer for more information.