What to expect when you see a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

This leaflet is for people who are planning to see a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist for an assessment of whether that therapist can offer you any help. The information in the leaflet is fairly general and is only intended to provide you with some initial understanding.

What is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist?

Basically, a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist is a trained person who talks to people about various problems in their life and then tries to help that person make changes that lead to an improvement in their life.

What will the first session with a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist be like?

Usually the therapist will want to find out some information from you about the problem for which you are seeking help. So, it is a good idea to be prepared with the facts about the problem as far as you are concerned.

What specific areas will be asked about?

This may vary but as a general rule the first interview will cover:

Why are all these areas covered?

Some information you provide may not be essential to help the therapist understand what is going on, but the therapist will usually want to make sure that they have some information in addition to the main facts about the main problem. They do not want to miss possibly important factors at this stage.

Is all this information confidential?

Usually all the information a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist hears when talking with a client remains confidential to that therapist. However, a therapist will usually keep written notes and from time to time will send letters or reports to other professionals such as your Consultant Psychiatrist or someone else who is involved in helping you with your overall psychological, mental or physical health. Often a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist will have their work supervised by a another Cognitive Behaviour Therapist colleague and may well discuss their clients with that supervisor - though often this discussion will be only about 'the facts of the case' and no names need be mentioned.

It is advisable with any particular Cognitive Behaviour Therapist to make sure that you understand that therapist’ rules about confidentiality at the start of any contact with them. [For example, one special situation in which most therapists are obliged to break confidentiality is when they believe there is significant risk of harm to the client or someone associated with the client - if confidentiality is not broken. This is a difficult area for both client and therapist, and it is a good idea to openly discuss matters]

What will happen after the first session?

There are a lot of options here. Sometimes the therapist will conclude that they cannot offer much in the way of help, other times, they may suggest that you meet with them for a number of therapy session to work on the problem together, other times, they may suggest referring you on to a colleague - who may be more appropriate for your particular problem or perhaps have more availability to see you sooner than the initial therapist.

What if I cannot attend a session?

Please try to contact the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist as soon as possible when you know you will have a problem attending.

What if the therapist and I do not get on well?

This can happen of course. We all have our preferences for the type of person we like to talk to - especially about personal matters. Usually, the best thing to do is talk openly to the therapist about your concerns. They should be trained and professional enough not to take it personally! Then, you can both discuss other options for you to try in perhaps seeking help elsewhere.

There are of course many other possible questions you could ask about seeing a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist. If you have some on your mind now you have read this leaflet, why not write them down, and take them to your session with the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

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