According to a recent report in The Daily Mail, leading psychotherapists claim that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is only a sticking plaster in the treatment of depression and other mental health disorders.
They demand that a wider range of therapies should be made available on the NHS rather than CBT receiving the lion s share of government funding, to the exclusion of other treatments.
As a leading psychotherapist, with many years experience, both working for the NHS and in private practice, I would comment that CBT can be used effectively for many types of issues. Mental health difficulties may arise from a range of fairly common patterns of low self-esteem thinking such as, I m not good enough .
Specific goal issues where a phobia or anxiety might be causing a barrier to achievement are another example where success rate is high.
Whilst there is an acknowledgement of the value of CBT, the report suggests there is clear evidence that some clients would be better helped by using other methods of therapy.
In my view this is nothing new and many of my clients who may find CBT too clinical benefit from all kinds of alternative therapies that are available to them.
I agree it is the level of motivation that is one of the important factors; it is also the development of the client-therapist relationship with warmth, understanding and trust - that is a key ingredient to success.
Call Richard Reid, in confidence, about CBT or alternative therapies on: 0870 446 4375 or e-mail at: admin@pinnacletherapy.co.uk
Richard Reid BA (Hons) BACP, GHR, ISMA is a Senior Consultant at Pinnacle Therapy. He has many years experience as a Psychotherapist, Counsellor and Hypnotherapist both within private practice and working for a number of large organizations, including BUPA and the NHS. He has appeared in a variety of magazines and broadcast on BBC radio several times, speaking about his service.
(Courtesy of SEJ Consultancy (UK) Ltd)
