Suzanne sees adults and older adolescents above the age of 16.
Problems Suzanne can help with include:
- depression, feeling down
- stress
- fears and anxiety – panic attacks, agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, fear of flying, fear of needles, and fear of vomiting
- insomnia
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following exposure to an accident or other traumatic events
- chronic pain
- motivation issues, such as quitting smoking and weight management
The main form of therapy Suzanne uses is called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). It is a form of psychological therapy that teaches you a set of skills that help you deal with your psychological or emotional difficulties. These skills, individualized to suit each person, are designed to help you understand and change the thoughts and behaviours that are causing or maintaining the problem. CBT is usually conducted over 6 to 12 sessions. Its effectiveness for many psychological problems is supported by a large volume of clinical research.
For many psychological disorders (e.g. mild to moderate depression, anxiety), CBT is often found to be more effective than medications alone in preventing relapse, or recurrence of the problem.
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT?
CBT is an evidenced based therapy. As its name suggests, it combines two treatment approaches, namely 'cognitive therapy' and 'behaviour therapy'. Cognitive therapy focuses on our pattern of thinking, while behaviour therapy looks at changing the way we do things. Together they can provide a very powerful method to help overcome a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems in children, adolescents and adults.
Its effectiveness has been demonstrated in a large number of research studies around the world, and is often considered the standard treatment for many problems.
Unlike medications, CBT aims not just to help people control their current symptoms, but also to teach them new skills and strategies that can be applied to future situations.
Can anyone provide CBT?
While many health professionals provide CBT, Clinical Psychologists receive specialist training in providing CBT cognitive behaviour therapy as part of their postgraduate training. Most controlled trials (the gold standard of scientific research into the effectiveness of any treatment modalities) of CBT are conducted by clinical psychologists in universities around the world.
CBT is not one skill that is applied to all problems. Rather it is individually tailored to suit each person and his/her problems. For this reason, it is best to see a qualified and experienced health professional for CBT. In Australia this person is most likely a Clinical Psychologist.
To understand the basic principles of CBT, a good introductory book is “Change Your Thinking” written by Dr Sarah Edelman, a Sydney-based Clinical Psychologist, and published by ABC.