Has anybody tried CBT?!

Expect:

1. Assessment on first session or two
2. A package of structured sessions maybe anything from 6-12 sessions on average.
3. Each session 45-60 minutes.
4. Exploring your thinking processes, feelings and beliefs about yourself and others
5. Questionnaires to measure your symptoms
6. A close working relationship with your therapist (the therapeutic alliance)
7. Home assignments such as recording your experiences in terms of situations that generate strong emotions and accompanying thoughts/mental images
8. Being open to new ways of looking at issues (different perspective on them)
9. Experimenting in doing things differently in the face of situations that trigger your symptoms
10. Formulating (getting a concept) of how your symptoms developed over time (longitudinal formulation)
11. Formulating the way in which your symptoms are being maintained.
12. Trying ways to break vicious cycles that maintain your symptoms
13. A relapse prevention plan when sufficient progress has been accomplished.
14. Opportunities to ask questions
15. Possibly, "Mindfulness" - you will find out more about it if it is employed

There are different CBT approaches but this covers the usual elements of most forms.

Edit: I almost fogot - expect to have to work hard! It is not a matter of having things done to you - it is a matter of the therapist showing you what you can do that will be more helpful than what you are currently doing :-)

Professional Experience
CBT Therapist

Expect to monitor your automatic thoughts in response to stressors or triggers. Expect to journal. Expect to learn about some of your automatic, and irrational beliefs, and to gain insight into how those beliefs trigger powerfully unpleasant emotions. You can expect your therapist to be active in helping you to identify these irrational beliefs, and to assist you to become more rational in thought toward stressful events.

You won't be laying on a couch, with the therapist behind you, taking notes as he listens to you free associate or talk about dreams.

If you look at sites regarding CBT on the internet, you'll see that it's one of the most researched and effective forms of psychotherapy.

I tried CBT at the Priory. It didn't help me at all because I'm a quiet person.

Be prepared to talk about whatever is bothering you, if you don't talk they can't help you. Ha, sounds obvious.

i've had about 10 sessions. don't expect miracles the best thing about mine is my psychiatrist as for the cbt itself it's not life changing.