Better Manage Your Mental Health With CBT Therapy in Melbourne

At Solace Psychology, we have years of experience providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Melbourne to help support our clients. This is an evidence-based approach with proven success in treating a variety of mental health conditions.

CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and the behaviours they cause. Working with your psychologist, you will challenge and reframe these thoughts to help break negative patterns and improve mental and emotional well-being.

CBT works as a long-term and short-term treatment for a range of mental health concerns. It can also be integrated or help shape other evidence-based approaches to mental health treatment.

Cognitive behaviour therapy helps you identify your negative thoughts in response to a triggering situation and your unhelpful reactions/behaviours in response to these thoughts. CBT provides practical strategies to reshape your views on anxious situations and your resulting emotions.

For example, you might feel intense anxiety when having to present in your workplace. You’re worried about stumbling over your words and think your colleagues will judge you. You might have thoughts like “Everyone will think I’m stupid“. These thoughts fuel the anxiety and lead to avoidance or freeze response which further reinforce the fear.

How would we approach this with CBT?

1. Identify Negative Thought Patterns: Recognise automatic thoughts like “everyone will judge me” and how they may be unhelpful or not 100% true.
2. Challenge and Reframe Thoughts: Learning to replace anxious thoughts with more helpful ones, e.g. “I can’t control what others think but I can focus on delivering good content.”
3. Gradual Exposure: Using imagery and practicing presenting in smaller settings to help build confidence over time.
4. Behavioural Techniques: Using grounding strategies (e.g. deep breathing) and developing emotional regulation strategies to manage anxiety in the moment.

Using CBT, your psychologist will assist in restructuring how you manage your negative thoughts.

We exclusively use evidence-based therapies when working with our clients. CBT is commonly used to treat anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders.

CBT may also be integrated with other evidence-based approaches. These include:

We base how we use therapeutic approaches on your history, preferences and goals for therapy. Our approach considers your individual needs to form a treatment plan that’s right for you.