The Personal Development Strategists is an company started by Gemma & Sandra; both registered therapists in the UK. Who work with both individuals & companies; to develop positive mental health & wellbeing.
Unfortunately Gemma is no longer with us; but her beautiful memory lives on. It was a privilege to have known and worked with her.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a Psychological approach based on scientific principles and which research has shown to be effective for a wide range of problems
Clients and therapists work together to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feeling and behavior.
The approach usually focuses on the recent difficulties experienced by the client, and relies on the therapist client developing a shared view of individual’s problem. This then leads to the identification of personalized, time-limited therapy goals and strategies, which are continually monitored and evaluated. Cognitive Behavioral Therapists work with individuals, families and groups.
Research on behavioral and cognitive psychotherapies has been carried out extensively. This has shown it to be an effective form of psychotherapy for the following:
Anxiety & Panic Attacks
Phobias
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Post traumatic Stress Disorder
Sexual & Relationship Problems
General Anxiety Disorder
Stress Related Anger Problems
Bulimia/Eating Disorders
Recurrent Nightmares
Prolonged Grief States
Depression
In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the therapist and the client work together to:
Develop a shared understanding of the Client’s problems.
Identify how these affect the client’s thoughts, behaviors, feelings and daily functioning.
Based on the understanding of each client’s individual problems the therapist and the client will then work together to identify goals and to agree to a shared treatment plan. The focus of therapy is to enable the client to generate solutions to their problems that are more helpful then their present ways of coping. This often involves the client using the time between therapy sessions to try things out.
If you went to a personal trainer at a health club, you would expect to get guidance on how to exercise when the trainer is not there. The same thing is true of CBT. What you learn in therapy is what you practice outside of therapy on your own. Research demonstrates that clients who carry out homework assignments get better faster and stay better longer. your self-help homework might include keeping track of your moods, thoughts and behaviors: scheduling activities; developing goals; challenging your negative thoughts; collecting information; changing the way you communicate with others; and other assignments.
Part of your problems may be due to how your parents, siblings and peers treated you, but your solutions to your problems lie in what you are thinking and doing today. However, we do find it useful at times to review the sources of your problems and help you learn how to change the way you think about them now.
Part of your problems may be due to biochemistry, but many other factors-such as the way you think, behave, and relate, as well as current and past life events-are important.
Therapy is organised over an agreed number of sessions. The number of sessions needed will differ depending on the nature and severity of a client’s problem. Typically, sessions are weekly, last an hour and take place over a period of between 10 to 15 sessions, but this can be significantly shorter or longer.
When treatment is completed the client and therapist usually agrees to a limited number of follow-up sessions to maintain the progress achieved.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can by used on its own or in conjunction with medication, depending on the severity or nature of each client’s problem.
All information is treated as confidential unless you discuss something with the therapist which leads them to think that you or other people are at risk of harm; should this happen the therapist will discuss any course of action with you first.