CBT for Stress

CBT for Stress is a highly effective way of overcoming the symptoms and emotional distress caused by being stressed.

Stress is how we describe the feeling that we experience when we are actively coping with challenging situations, either in our personal or business lives.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960’s who recognised that people’s inner-thoughts were often more significant than the things that they said out loud during therapy sessions.

He called these inner-thoughts cognition and argued that the way that people think about their experiences links directly to the emotions that they feel.

In other words our emotional experiences are the outcomes of what we think and believe rather than being caused by external events.

These ideas form the central concept of CBT which states that:

The way people think determines the way that they feel.

In the case of Stress the emotions that we feel are the direct result of what we think or believe our experiences mean.

Stress Symptoms

Symptoms may be expressed in several different ways:

Behavioural Symptoms

• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Anti-social behaviours
• Increased consumption of alcohol
• Increased smoking

Physical Symptoms

• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Disrupted sleep
• Chest pains
• Muscle tremors

Cognitive Symptoms

• Poor concentration
• Confusion
• Uncertainty
• Nervousness
• Nightmares

Emotional Symptoms

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Guilt
• Grief

You may have some or all of these symptoms, but it is important to remember that you may feel anxious in different ways to other people because of the subjective nature of human experiences.

How does CBT for Stress work?

Normally a programme of CBT for Stress takes place over a period of 10 to 20 weeks with an hour long session once per week.

Firstly, because the way you think about your day-to-day experiences is determined by your core beliefs, the early sessions of CBT for Stress involve exploring and measuring these beliefs.

Secondly, once you are able to uncover your core beliefs, your thoughts about certain experiences will make more sense.

Thirdly, by understanding how you have made sense of your experiences in the past you can then begin to make changes to your thoughts and beliefs in order to create new, and more useful, emotional outcomes.

CBT for Stress builds upon the 5 core CBT principles developed by Aaron Beck and are used extensively in our CORE Programme.

How many sessions of CBT will I need?

Whilst this is a difficult question to be precise about, most people will be able to overcome their Stress problems in around 10 sessions.

However, because CBT for Stress is always tailored to your own individual needs and circumstances, getting the outcome that you want may sometimes require more sessions.

If you have been suffering Stress problems for many years then in all likelihood, you can reasonably expect to take a bit longer to get where you want to be.

Our CBT for Stress programme is based on 10 sessions delivered over 10 weeks and uses an online learning platform for you to develop greater self-awareness and knowledge in the days between sessions.

How much does CBT for Stress cost?

Our CBT for Stress programme costs £799 which includes access to the online learning platform for a period of 16 weeks, 10 X 1 hour long sessions with Paul at the clinic in Wombourne or, if you prefer, via Zoom video sessions.

Paul is a post-graduate psychologist and holds both BSc. (Hons) and MSc. (Psych) degrees in applied psychology as well as a professional diploma in CBT.

He has been running Lee Psychology with Joan since 2009.

Find out more about CBT for Stress.

If you’d like to find out more about our CBT for Stress programme, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

We offer all prospective clients FREE initial consultations at the clinic (as well as online) so that you can find out more about our services as well as get the opportunity to discuss your Stress related problems before having to commit to any sessions with us.