Bridge Street Psychology is a psychology clinic in the heart of Epping dedicated to achieving better mental health outcomes for their clients.
Our psychologists will provide you with evidence based strategies so you can work towards improving your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, also known as CBT, is a goal-oriented evidence-based treatment that has been shown to reduce the symptoms of mental illness, increase self-awareness and improve emotional wellbeing, particularly for:
Depression
Generalised anxiety
Social anxiety
Obsessions and compulsions
Eating disorders and body image issues
Panic attacks
Phobias
Post-traumatic stress
The key premise of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is how we think about and interpret situations affects how we feel and behave and that sometimes the way we think about situations is biased or unbalanced and, therefore, unhelpful.
The following example demonstrates how we can interpret situations in many different ways. These different interpretations are often based on past experiences, assumptions, your mood that day and many other factors.
For example, if you were having coffee with a friend and you noticed them look over your shoulder mid-way through the conversation what sort of thoughts would run through your mind? Your possible range of responses might include:
Thought: They think I’m boring. Emotion: Hurt and embarrassed. Behaviour: You end the conversation prematurely by saying you forgot you had something on.
Thought: They are so rude. Emotion: Anger. Behaviour: You abruptly finish the conversation and say you have to go.
Thought: They seem distracted. I hope they are okay. Emotion: Concern. Behaviour: You watch your friend more closely to try to figure out if everything is okay with them.
Thought: I wonder if they’ve just seen someone that they know arrive? Emotion: Neutral. Behaviour: You continue on with the conversation as usual.
In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy the aim is to help people to recognise and change unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, behaviours, patterns and methods of coping. Therapeutic sessions are designed to equip you with tools and techniques that you can use to help yourself both now and in the future.
The psychologists at Bridge Street Psychology have had training and experience using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for a variety of mental health and wellbeing issues. To find out which of our psychologists would be the best match for you call our friendly team on 9876 1800 or email reception@bridgestreetpsych.com.au
