Young People's Page | CBT Practice

Children and Young Peoples Page

Welcome to CBT for Young People!

About Gemma - Your CBT Therapist

Hi, I’m Gemma! I’m a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) with over 10 years of experience helping young people like you feel better and overcome challenges. My job is to help you understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, so you can start to feel more in control of your life.

I’ve worked with children, young people, and families in a variety of settings, and I understand how difficult things can feel sometimes. I’m here to listen, help, and work with you to make things better.

My goal is to create a safe, comfortable space where you can talk about what’s on your mind without any pressure or judgment. I believe in making therapy feel friendly and helpful, so you can get the most out of it.

Together, we can work on strategies that will help you feel more confident, calm, and in control of your emotions. I'm here to support you every step of the way.

What is CBT and How Can It Help You?

Sometimes, young people feel unhappy, sad, worried, or scared. You might even feel these strong emotions in your body, like your heart racing or feeling sick. These feelings can make it hard to do things you normally enjoy, like spending time with friends, doing hobbies, or even going to school. You might still try to do these things, but it may feel more difficult or worrying.

When you feel like this, one way to start feeling better is by trying Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT for short. It’s a type of therapy that can help you understand your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and work on ways to feel better. But what exactly is CBT? Let’s break it down together!

What Does CBT Mean?

COGNITIVE
This word is all about your thoughts – the things you think about, the words that run through your head, and even the pictures or images you see in your mind. In CBT, you might talk about these thoughts, draw them, or even act them out. This helps you understand how your thoughts can affect how you feel and how you act.
BEHAVIOURAL
This part focuses on behavior – how we act or the things we do (or don’t do). In CBT, you will look at how you act in different situations, like at school or home, and how you behave around people like your parents, teachers, or friends. Understanding how your behaviors might be making things harder can help you find ways to make changes.
THERAPY
Therapy is a special kind of help that can give you tools to understand your feelings better and help you change the things that are bothering you. A therapist is the person who helps you with this.

How Does CBT Work?

In CBT, you and your therapist will work together to explore your thoughts, what you do, and how you feel. You will talk, use drawings, or even do fun activities to understand how everything fits together. Together, you will figure out what changes can help you feel better.

CBT looks at the thoughts and behaviors you’ve learned over time, and how some of these might be unhelpful. For most of the therapy, you’ll focus on what’s going on right now and how your thoughts and behaviors might be keeping the problem going. It’s not about focusing on the past or things that happened when you were younger, but about finding ways to deal with the here and now.

What to Expect in CBT?

If you and your therapist think CBT might help you, here’s what you can expect:

Setting Goals: You and your therapist will decide on the things you want to work on. These could be things like feeling less anxious or more confident.
Regular Sessions: You’ll meet with your therapist regularly (about once a week). Sometimes, family members might join the sessions, but you’ll always talk about that first.
Talking Honestly: You’ll be encouraged to talk openly with your therapist about how you’re feeling, what you’re doing, and how you think about things.
Inter-session Tasks: Your therapist might ask you to complete small tasks between sessions. These could be things like keeping a journal of your feelings, practicing new skills, or trying new ways to handle situations. These tasks help you practice what you’ve been learning.

How Long Will CBT Take?

Therapy usually lasts between six and twenty sessions, depending on what you’re working on. Many people start with about four or five sessions to see if CBT is a good fit for them and if they can build a trusting relationship with their therapist. A session typically lasts between 40 and 60 minutes.

Confidentiality: Keeping Things Private

A lot of young people worry about what might happen to the things they talk about in therapy. The good news is that everything you talk about in therapy is private. What you say stays between you and your therapist, unless you give permission for someone else to be involved, like your parents, teachers, or doctor.

There is one exception to this: if your therapist is worried about your safety (or someone else’s), they may need to tell someone to keep you safe. This doesn’t happen often, but if it does, your therapist will always try to talk to you about it first. You also have the right to ask your therapist to show you the notes they keep about your sessions.

Is CBT Right for You?

If you’re feeling sad, anxious, or struggling with things that are tough to deal with, CBT could be a great way to start feeling better. It’s all about working together to help you understand yourself better and make the changes that will help you feel more in control and confident.