Hi.  Over the next few weeks I am going to be posting a series of blogs that explain many of the terms and expressions used within CBT.  You may find that you already know and understand a lot of them, and there will be others that may be new to you.

You may also find that some of them resonate or ‘strike a chord’ with you in some way.  Maybe a simple word like grief makes you feel shrunken and empty or the greatly over-used word love makes you feel uncomfortable?  However these words make you feel, if they produce a reaction, it is worth taking the time to listen to the feelings they provoke.  Our feelings are so strongly tied up with our thoughts and behaviours that the meanings behind these feelings often go unnoticed.  They pass us by in the busy-ness of our lives.

However, if a feeling provokes a reaction, whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’ we can get to know and understand ourselves better by exploring it. It is this link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours that is the basis of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. So if you would like to know and understand more about the principles behind CBT watch this space!

I wish you a day full of achievement, whatever that word may mean to you!