Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

What CBT is (and isn’t)

CBT is a practical, structured talking therapy that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, body sensations and behaviours interact. It focuses on what is happening in your life now, whilst recognising that past experiences can shape present patterns. The goal is to develop skills to notice unhelpful thinking and behavioural loops, test them gently, and create more helpful habits over time.

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CBT is:

• Collaborative: we set goals and agendas together.

• Active: sessions often include exercises and experiments.

• Skills‑based: you learn tools you can continue using long after therapy ends.

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CBT isn’t:

• A promise of cure or a one‑size‑fits‑all solution.

• Just “positive thinking”.

• About ignoring your history or emotions—it aims to understand them, then respond differently.

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Is CBT right for me?

CBT can be a strong option if you are experiencing difficulties such as anxiety, persistent worry, panic, low mood, social anxiety, phobias, OCD‑type patterns, stress, insomnia, or low self‑confidence. It is recommended by national guidelines for several of these concerns and can be effective as a short‑ to medium‑term intervention.

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If you notice longstanding, deep‑rooted patterns—perhaps shaped by early experiences—Schema Therapy may complement CBT by working more directly with the emotional themes and relational patterns that keep old cycles going. Many people benefit from an integrative approach that begins with CBT’s practical tools and, when needed, moves deeper using Schema Therapy.

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If you’re unsure where to start, we can explore this together in a free 30‑minute consultation and decide whether CBT, Anxiety Therapy, Individual Therapy, or a blended plan is the best fit.

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Before we meet: the free consultation and preparation

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Before any CBT session, I offer a free 30‑minute consultation (online or phone) to:

• Understand what brings you to therapy and what you’d like to change.

• Discuss how CBT works and answer your questions.

• Consider whether we feel like a good therapeutic fit.

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If you choose to proceed, you’ll receive simple intake forms to help us make a focused start. You don’t need to prepare anything special—many people arrive feeling unsure how to describe things, and that’s perfectly okay. We’ll find the words together.

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Your first CBT session: what to expect

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The first session is about understanding you. We will:

• Map out the difficulties you’re experiencing and where they show up (work, relationships, health, study, family).

• Clarify meaningful, realistic goals (e.g., “sleep through the night three times a week” rather than “never feel anxious again”).

• Begin a simple psychological formulation—a shared picture of how thoughts, feelings, body sensations and behaviours interact for you.

• Agree practicalities such as session length, frequency, and whether we work online or in person in London.

People often leave the first session feeling more hopeful and organised, with a sense of “this is what’s happening, and here’s how we can approach it.”

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A typical CBT session structure

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After the first meeting, most sessions follow a gentle structure to keep us focused and productive:

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• Check‑in and agenda (5–10 minutes): How have things been since we last met? What feels most important today? We agree a short agenda together.

• Review of practice (5–10 minutes): We look at any between‑session practice or experiments, celebrating what you tried and learning from what was hard. No judgement, just curiosity.

• Focused work (20–30 minutes): We use suitable CBT tools for your goals—this could involve understanding a recent trigger, noticing thought patterns, or planning a behavioural experiment.

• Action planning (5–10 minutes): We co‑create a small, achievable task to try before the next session, tailored to your week and energy.

• Feedback (a few minutes): You share how the session felt. This helps us keep therapy collaborative and responsive.

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Practical tools used in CBT

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We choose techniques that match your goals, preferences and pace. Common tools include:

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• Thought monitoring and reframing: Learning to spot unhelpful thoughts and test them against evidence; considering more balanced alternatives.

• Behavioural activation: Gently reintroducing valued, mood‑lifting activities when low mood leads to withdrawal.

• Exposure and response prevention (ERP): Gradually facing feared situations or thoughts in a planned way, without engaging in safety behaviours, to retrain the nervous system.

• Worry management: Techniques such as worry postponement, problem‑solving steps, and containing rumination.

• Grounding and self‑soothing: Breathing practices, muscle relaxation, mindful noticing, or sensory anchors to steady the body.

• Sleep and routine support: Sleep hygiene, stimulus control, and wind‑down routines for insomnia or stress.

• Assertiveness and communication skills: Planning and practising helpful phrases and boundaries, sometimes with brief role‑play.

For anxiety specifically, we may integrate targeted Anxiety Therapy strategies, combining CBT’s structure with compassion‑focused and body‑based tools where useful.

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Between‑session practice (homework) that actually fits your life

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In CBT, change continues between sessions. Practice tasks are never about perfection—they’re small, collaborative experiments. We design them to fit your week and your circumstances. Examples include:

• Noting a specific thought once a day and trying one balancing response.

• A brief exposure step from a fear ladder, at a level that feels safe enough to try.

• Scheduling and protecting one value‑aligned activity (e.g., a short walk, call with a friend, or creative time).

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If life is busy or energy is low, we scale tasks down. The aim is steady learning, not pressure.

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How many sessions and how progress is tracked

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CBT is typically time‑limited. Many people work for 6–12 sessions; others benefit from 16–20 or occasional top‑ups as needed. We will discuss a realistic plan up‑front and review it together.

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Progress is tracked collaboratively using:

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• Goal‑based measures: Are we moving towards the specific changes you wanted?

• Brief questionnaires: Optional, evidence‑informed measures can offer a snapshot of symptoms over time.

• Session feedback: Your lived sense of what’s helping (or not) guides us to adjust course.

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When progress is slower or patterns feel entrenched, we might weave in Schema Therapy to work more deeply with themes rooted in earlier life, whilst keeping the practical momentum of CBT.

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Online vs in‑person CBT in London

I offer CBT both online and in person in London. Online sessions can be as effective as in‑room work for many concerns and offer flexibility for busy schedules or those outside London. We’ll choose the format that helps you feel safe, focused and consistent.

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Integrative approach: blending CBT with Schema Therapy when helpful

Some cycles—like people‑pleasing, fear of abandonment, or persistent self‑criticism—may reflect deeper schemas formed in early relationships. When that’s the case, Schema Therapy can complement CBT by:

• Identifying lifelong patterns and unmet needs beneath current triggers.

• Working with “modes” (parts of self), including nurturing the vulnerable part of you that learned to cope in creative ways.

• Strengthening a compassionate, grounded “Healthy Adult” to lead change.

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My book, The Child Behind Your Patterns, explores how earlier experiences thread into present‑day reactions and how to meet them with care. In therapy, we may draw from these ideas if it supports your goals, whilst keeping the structured, action‑focused spirit of CBT.

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What CBT can and cannot do

CBT can teach you practical ways to respond differently to thoughts and feelings, reduce avoidance, and build confidence through action. Many people find it increases emotional steadiness and flexibility in daily life.

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CBT is not a guarantee that you will never feel anxious, low or triggered again. Human emotion is part of being alive. What CBT offers is a toolkit and a supportive relationship so that you feel less at the mercy of those moments and more able to choose your next step.

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If trauma, grief, neurodiversity, or physical health issues are part of your context, CBT can be adapted. We will set a compassionate pace and integrate other modalities where indicated. If you are in immediate crisis or feel unsafe, please contact your local emergency service or crisis line for urgent support.

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How to prepare for your first CBT session

• Note one or two goals: What would tell you therapy is helping? Keep it concrete.

• Track one week: If you can, jot down where your concern shows up (situations, thoughts, sensations, actions).

• Bring your questions: About CBT, timing, online vs in‑person, or how we’ll measure progress.

• Plan self‑care around it: A brief walk, a warm drink, or five minutes’ quiet can help you settle before and after sessions.

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Working together: my style as an integrative therapist

Clients often tell me they value a calm, non‑judgemental atmosphere where they feel met as a whole person—not a diagnosis. My style is warm, clear and collaborative. I blend CBT for structure and momentum with Schema Therapy where deeper healing is needed, and I draw on compassion‑focused and attachment‑informed ideas to ensure the work is both practical and humane.

Whether you’re seeking Anxiety Therapy, Individual Therapy for mood or stress, or you’re curious about how CBT principles can support communication in Couples Therapy, we will tailor the approach to you.

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10. FAQ Section — common questions about CBT sessions

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How long is a CBT session?

Most CBT sessions last 50 minutes. Occasionally we may agree a longer session for specific work (for example, exposure planning), but we’ll decide this together.

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How many CBT sessions will I need?

Many people find 6–12 sessions helpful; others prefer 16–20, or occasional top‑ups. The number depends on your goals, history and pace. We review regularly so you remain in control.

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What if I struggle with the “homework”?

That’s very common. Practice is always collaborative and adjustable. We scale tasks to your week, explore barriers with kindness, and make the learning work for you.

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Can CBT be done online?

Yes. Online CBT can be as effective as in‑person for many issues and offers flexibility. We’ll choose the format that feels safest and most practical for you.

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What’s the difference between CBT and Schema Therapy?

CBT focuses on present‑moment thoughts and behaviours to build skills quickly. Schema Therapy goes deeper into longstanding patterns and emotional needs. Many people benefit from an integrative blend of both.

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Is CBT suitable if I’ve experienced trauma?

CBT can help with some trauma‑related difficulties and may be adapted or combined with other approaches. We set a compassionate pace, prioritising safety and stability.

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Call to Action — book a free 30‑minute consultation with Noush Navazani

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If you’re ready to explore CBT—or you’d simply like a calm, informed space to discuss what you’re experiencing—I’d be glad to help. Book a free 30‑minute consultation to ask questions, get a feel for how we might work together, and decide on next steps at your own pace.

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Book your free consultation today and take a small, supported step towards steadier days.

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