Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – Find a CBT Therapist Nearby or Online

If you are looking for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with a qualified and accredited expert, then you are in the right place. The CBT therapists on this registry service have all completed Masters level Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training and achieved the rigorous professional accreditation standards laid down by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. You can view the featured CBT therapists in the profile showcase on this page or browse ACT therapists by entering your postcode and selecting the ACT option in the search box. If you need help selecting the right therapist, then complete the simple contact form at the bottom of this page and we will find a good therapy match for you.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a field of therapy that provides a highly structured, time focused and practical approach to overcoming a wide range of psychological, emotional and behavioural problems. CBT is not just one approach but includes a number of recognised and well-researched models including CBT, REBT, ACT, DBT, CFT and MBCT. Each of these models is recognised by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) and offer a family of treatments that take a practical and scientific approach to therapeutic change. In the UK, it’s important to check that your Cognitive Behavioural Therapist has achieved post-graduate - Masters level CBT qualifications in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy in addition to any specialist training in ACT, DBT, CFT or MBCT. All Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists on this website have been independently verified and hold accreditation with the BABCP. All Clinical and Counselling Psychologists are also registered with the HCPC.

How Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work?

CBT involves understanding and working on the connections between our Cognitions; thinking patterns and processes, our Behaviours; the things we do and avoid doing, our Emotions; feelings such as anxiety, anger or depression and Physiological Reactions; including tension, dizziness or pain.
All models of CBT work by identifying and altering these causal links between negative thinking patterns, unhelpful behaviours, distressing emotions and physiological symptoms. This involves focusing on two main areas:

• Cognitive Strategies; learning how to identify, change, reframe and let go of negative or unhelpful thinking patterns.
• Behavioural Strategies; learning how to change and improve unhelpful behaviours or patterns of avoidance.

The basic premise behind CBT is that we can overcome a wide range of psychological problems by changing how we think and what we do. This has been rigorously tested in numerous research trials over the last fifty years. CBT is acknowledged as the recommended treatment of choice for a wide range of psychological problems including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, health anxiety, OCD, PTSD, social anxiety, trauma and substance abuse. CBT is also highly effective in the treatment of a wide range of developmental, emotional and behavioural problems ranging from ADHD to problems with low self-esteem.

What Does Undertaking CBT Involve?

Undertaking CBT usually involves completing an initial assessment, producing a clear therapy plan and attending weekly sessions where you will learn new techniques to tackle the problem. Your Cognitive Behavioural psychotherapist will help you to set specific goals, develop a clear understanding of the problem, produce a structured therapy plan, teach you how to use CBT techniques and monitor your progress on a weekly basis. In addition to attending your therapy sessions, you will be asked to undertake CBT assignments between appointments. These assignments can involve learning about CBT approaches, thought monitoring/change exercises, planned exposures to difficult or challenging tasks, simple experiments to test out how you think and act in certain situations and exercises to improve emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Through the course of the CBT process, you will gain an insight into the causes and maintenance factors for the problem, you will learn new techniques to change the way you think, act and feel and you will develop an increased level of personal resilience to manage difficult and challenging situations as they arise. Whilst you will explore and learn new approaches using the exercises from your structured CBT sessions, the most effective changes will take place through personal dedication and consistent practice in your daily life.
There is a wealth of self-help CBT material freely available, however, the most effective and long-lasting changes are achieved by working with a professionally accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.

If you need help selecting a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist or if you have questions about the CBT process, please complete the simple contact form at the bottom of this page or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.