Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT, is short term goal orientated psychotherapy. It's goal is to change peoples patterns of thinking, beliefs and attitudes, that are the cause of peoples problems and difficulties. By focusing on how our thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes relate to our behaviour we can then better deal with our emotional problems. It is used to treat a wide range of issues in a persons life including relationship problems, depression, panic and anxiety, eating disorders, stress, sleeping difficulties, addiction and behavioural difficulties in children. The advantage of CBT is that treatment tends to be short (4-7 months) for most emotional problems. Clients attend one session per week where the client and therapist work together to understand what the problems are and to develop a new alternative strategies for tackling them. The client is introduced to tools, strategies and ways of coping which they then can apply to future problematic situations. CBT is a combination of psychotherapy and behavioural therapy. Psychotherapy emphasises the importance of personal meaning of things and thinking patterns begin in childhood. Behavioural therapy focuses on the relationship between our problems, behaviour and thoughts. Natalie was trained in Psychological counselling at UNISA, took her masters degree in Psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden and thereafter, a two year post graduate University diploma specialising in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy. She has since worked as CBT therapist with families and children from all walks of life in Sweden and South Africa. She has worked in a centre for women affected by domestic violence, a centre for children with diagnoses (Aspergers, autism, ADHD/ADD and accompaning behavioural and learning difficulties) and as a CBT therapist/consultant to the Swedish social services meeting and helping clients with all types of interpersonal problems including couples counselling, family counselling and individual counselling.
