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What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

**BounceBack is not the equivalent of psychotherapy. The BounceBack approach offers exercises using cognitive-behavioural techniques.

As the name suggests, CBT focuses on the way we think (“cognitive”) and act (“behavioural”). The concept behind CBT is that our thoughts about a situation affect how we feel and how we behave in that situation. Skills you learn in CBT are useful, practical and helpful strategies that can be incorporated into everyday life to help you cope better with future stressors and difficulties. One example of CBT in practice would be to imagine you’re walking in a park. While in the park, a friend walks by, but doesn’t acknowledge you. You may think your friend doesn’t like you and you may get angry or feel hurt. BUT you could also assume that your friend is having a tough day and missed you while pre-occupied with a difficult problem they were having. The second thought might not lead you to feel angry or hurt, but rather concerned for your friend.

CBT breaks down the situation to help us understand how the way we think (“cognitive”) and the way we respond (“behavioural”) affect each other. By separating the way we feel from the way we act, we gain more control of our mind and therefore choose healthier behaviours. In our park example, we might dismiss our initial anger or hurt and make the effort to connect with our friend.

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