I’ve called this months blog ‘CBT Detectives’ because in therapy it can often feel like my patient and I have donned our deer stalkers and are trying to find out how the world really works!

We often come to CBT feeling like we need a new way of looking at the world, there’s an awareness that the way things have been aren’t working for us anymore, however, letting go of those old beliefs can be difficult.  This is where ‘Behavioural Experiments’ come in.

Being in treatment with a qualified CBT therapist gives you a unique opportunity to try doing things differently and seeing what you can learn.  It’s a tried and tested method which can help with a range of problems including depression, OCD, Social Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder.

Perhaps the best way to explain behavioural experiments is with a couple of examples…

… Chloe came to me for treatment because she was having panic attacks.  She believed that if her heart rate got too fast she would have a heart attack.  Naturally, she was avoiding any physical exercise and checking her pulse with her smart watch.  Chloe didn’t have any physical health problems so there was actually no reason for her to worry about having a heart attack.  She set up a behavioural experiment where she ran on a treadmill at the gym until her heart rate got above what she would normally allow it to.  When she didn’t have a heart attack this gave her new information about how the world works and was a big step towards her overcoming panic disorder.

… Ben came to me for treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder.  He believed that when he had a conversation with strangers he became very red in the face and visibly shook which he was very embarrassed about.  Ben decided to test himself by video recording a conversation with someone he’d met for the first time.  We then watched the recording and looked at how red he was and if he shook.  We were also able to ask the stranger what they thought about this.  The evidence Ben gathered showed him that although he felt red and shaky when talking to new people this wasn’t something they could see.  This helped Ben to feel more confident in social situations and with more practice his anxiety reduced.

As you can see with both of these examples, Behavioural Experiments involve a great deal of courage but it’s worth it to gather the evidence.  A CBT therapist can help you to approach Behavioural Experiments in a structured way which will help you to get the most out of the effort you put into these challenges.  They’ll help you to consider what it is that you need to test out and how you’ll do this – a dollop of creativity is often needed!  Your therapist will support you to do the experiment and then look at the results with you, considering what you’ve learned and what the next steps might be.

If you think that this approach might help you with difficulties related to depression or anxiety please get in touch with me on 07926 485 362 or email: hello@forresttalkingtherapies.co.uk.