Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a practical, evidence-based approach that helps people of all ages understand how their thoughts, emotions, and actions interact. It’s based on the idea that while we can’t always control what happens in life, we can change the way we interpret and respond to those experiences.
By becoming more aware of unhelpful thinking patterns and learning new ways to respond, CBT
helps people reduce distress, manage challenges more effectively, and build emotional wellbeing that lasts.
CBT is one of the most widely researched and effective forms of therapy and has been shown to help with a broad range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, stress, perfectionism, and low self-esteem.
How CBT Can Help Across the Lifespan
CBT is flexible and can be adapted to suit each person’s stage of life, learning style, and goals:
Children and young people learn to recognise and express emotions, challenge unhelpful thoughts (like “I can’t do it” or “Nobody likes me”), and build problem-solving and coping skills for school, friendships, and home life.
Teenagers use CBT to manage academic pressure, social stress, anxiety, and self-criticism. Developing healthier thinking habits and tools for emotional regulation and resilience.
Adults benefit from understanding patterns that keep them feeling stuck, building more balanced perspectives, and learning practical strategies to handle stress, relationships, or self-doubt.
At any age, CBT helps people feel more in control of their emotions, confident in their choices, and capable of responding to life’s challenges with clarity and balance.
Our Approach at Psychology Centre Newcastle
Our therapists take a compassionate, collaborative approach to CBT. We recognise that every person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours develop within their unique environment, experiences, and neurotype.
We take time to understand your context and tailor strategies that genuinely fit your personality, learning style, and values. Therapy combines structure with empathy, offering practical skills alongside insight, reflection, and self-compassion.
The focus is always on realistic, achievable change that builds confidence and momentum over time.
What to Expect
CBT sessions are always guided by your pace and goals. Together with your therapist, you’ll identify patterns that may be contributing to distress and practise new ways to respond.
A typical CBT process involves:
Mapping connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, noticing how certain beliefs or interpretations influence feelings and actions.
Exploring alternative perspectives — learning to gently question rigid, fearful, or self-critical thinking and develop more balanced, compassionate views.
Applying practical strategies — such as mindfulness, grounding, gradual exposure to fears, or scheduling meaningful activities to rebuild motivation and confidence.
Skills learned in therapy are practised between sessions, so they become part of everyday life, helping people translate insight into meaningful, lasting change.
The Benefits of CBT
People often find that CBT helps them to:
Understand and manage the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
Reduce anxiety, stress, or low mood
Build emotional regulation and resilience
Respond to challenges with calm and confidence
Strengthen communication and problem-solving skills
Develop practical, long-term coping tools
Cultivate self-awareness and self-compassion
At Psychology Centre Newcastle, CBT is about empowering people to understand themselves more deeply and respond to life in ways that reflect their strengths and values.
