Specialist CBT Psychotherapy Service (Adult)

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy is a family of many talking therapies, all based on the idea that thoughts, feelings, what we do, and how we feel, are all connected. If we change one of these areas, then we can helpfully alter the others to create improvements in our lives.

When we feel low, anxious, or upset, we often fall into patterns of thinking and responding, which can worsen how we feel. CBT works to help us notice and change problematic thinking styles, emotional or behavioural patterns, so that we feel better in the long term. This model of therapy encourages the therapist and patient to work together in a collaborative way towards mutually agreed goals.

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy has a wide evidence base and has been proven to be effective for many different Mental Health problems. It is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Health Anxiety, Body Dysmorphic Disorder and other Anxiety Disorders as well as the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. CBT also has a developing evidence base for patients that are experiencing developmental trauma with interpersonal difficulties, Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder- Adapted from BABCP.com

The department is part of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and take referrals from within the Trust throughout the whole of Derbyshire. We work with patients who have complex and chronic mental health needs that meet criteria for either the Mood Disorder Pathway or the Anxiety Disorder / complex PTSD pathway. Our patients experience severe and complex anxiety/ depression and complex PTSD presentations, and our patients have comorbid Serious Mental Health difficulties.

All our staff have Statutory regulated Core Mental Health professions such as Mental health Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Psychology or Psychiatry etc and have worked within Secondary care mental health services for many years. We are also trained to Masters level and above in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy. Currently we have over two hundred years of experience collectively delivering CBT.

All our qualified staff are accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP), and we have practitioners that are accredited with BABCP as Supervisors and Trainers.

The Specialist CBT Psychotherapy Service not only provides highly specialist CBT Psychotherapy, but we are a CBT Training and Supervisory Centre for the Trust clinicians. We have clinicians supporting Local BABCP approved courses in the Region, and clinicians providing supervision and training on National CBT Training programs, to help develop the CBT clinicians for the now and the future.

Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy occurs in a safe setting and relies on very clear boundaries of confidentiality. You the patient will first be offered an assessment with one of our team to see whether cognitive behavioural psychotherapy would be suitable. This assessment may take place over several sessions. We will ask you to complete validated clinical questionnaires as this will add to the information we are gathering to clarify your current difficulties. If collaboratively we decide that CBP is not suitable we will discuss this with you, and write to your referrer with possible options of alternative care pathways that may be more appropriate.

In both the anxiety and mood disorder pathway we will work with you to develop an evolving individual formulation of your difficulties. We work together to establish a sound therapeutic alliance, encouraging collaboration and active participation to change. CBT initially focuses on the present difficulties, using your formulation to inform us what patterns of behaviour, thoughts, emotions and how your early experiences continue to impact upon you. We will set specific therapy goals, which your therapy will support you in working towards them. We use structured sessions that are goal orientated and problem focused. There is a therapy contract that highlights the requirements to get the most out of your therapy, emphasising a need for a commitment to therapy. 

Throughout treatment we will regularly use validated outcome measures / questionnaires and client feedback to review progress and to help guide therapy.