Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evidence guided structured form of psychotherapy that aims to alter the often unhelpful thinking (cognitions) and behaviour that commonly occur during times of distress.

How long does therapy take?
Typically six to ten sessions of therapy would be enough for a single problem to show improvement. More complex problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorder can take up to twenty sessions. It also depends on how you do the work you have collaboratively agreed to do. After therapy has been completed the therapist and person usually agree to meet for a limited number of follow up sessions to maintain progress achieved.

What can I expect?
The assessment session is the first meeting you will be offered and allows you and the therapist time to explore your aims, motivation and needs for therapy. This is also an opportunity to ask questions or identify an alternative, more appropriate service. 

You may feel quite anxious about starting therapy at the first session. At this session and in subsequent sessions you will have the opportunity to speak openly about how you genuinely experience things without fear of being judged for doing so.

An initial series of fifty-minute sessions may be offered to you following assessment. Establishing a focus or main concern at this point, may help you get the most out of your therapy. An important part of CBT is what the person does in between sessions. Their will be an expectation that people will try things out. This may include gathering information, monitoring thoughts or behaviours or trying new ideas. 

A review session, may be offered following the last therapy session, and allows time to look at how you have benefited from the sessions. Depending upon your needs, your therapist may negotiate further sessions with you.
Are there any risks associated with CBT?
There are no side effects from cognitive behavior therapy (although it can be tiring and requires commitment motivation). Your therapist will explain to you if they think that CBT might not be helpful for you and the reasons for this can be discussed.
Where will therapy take place?
You can be seen in your own home, at our office in Robertson Street, Hastings, or at our office in The Malthouse, 126 Wish Hill, Willingdon, Eastbourne.
When can I be seen?
A mutually agreed time can be arranged following the initial contact.

Payment
If you are paying privately or have agreed with your health insurance company to pay for your therapy each session will cost £80.00. There is an additional fee if a report is requested. The cost of your sessions will be invoiced to you on a monthly basis. If you cancel your session with less than 24 hours notice or do not attend without letting us know you will still be responsible for paying the session fee.

Confidentiality
All accredited therapists we are bound by professional confidentiality through a code of professional conduct issued by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). Information will not be revealed to a third party unless there is an explicit agreement by you that this can be shared. In practice most of our clients would like their GPs to be informed of their therapy.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. If you tell your therapist that you are planning, or have committed, certain very serious crimes then they we will notify the police. If you tell us that you are considering suicide, we will discuss this with your GP. 

To maintain excellent practice all therapists are supervised by other therapists (who are bound by the same code of professional conduct). In clinical supervision your therapist’s work is discussed but the identity of the person being discussed is not revealed.
What to do if you have a complaint about the CBT service.
We hope that you will not be dissatisfied with our service but if there is an issue that you are unhappy about then you should discuss this with your therapist first so that they can have chance to address the nature of your complaint. If your complaint can not be resolved by your therapist please put your complaint in writing and send it to the Directors of CBT Consulting who will investigate and respond to your complaint. It is hoped that through your complaint our service can be improved.

If you are unhappy about the conduct of a therapist you should first contact the Directors of CBT Consulting. However, in addition, you may wish to complain directly to the therapists' accrediting body, the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).