Ever noticed how one unhelpful thought can snowball? A friend doesn’t reply to your message, you decide they must be annoyed with you, you feel anxious, so you stay quiet, and the silence seems to prove you right. That loop is exactly what cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is designed to interrupt.

Feeling To Healing offers cognitive behavioural therapy London clients can access in person or online. Sessions are led by Dr Carlo Demarco, a consultant psychologist with a PhD in Psychology and over 30 years of clinical experience, and focus on practical skills you can use in everyday life.

What Is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is a structured, goal-oriented talking therapy. It is based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are all connected, so changing one can shift the others. It was developed in the 1960s by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck and is now one of the most widely researched talking therapies, used across the NHS for many mental health problems.

Unlike therapies that focus mainly on the past, CBT concentrates on the problems you are facing now. A typical unhelpful loop looks like this:

• Situation: a friend doesn’t reply to your message
• Thought: “They must be annoyed with me”
• Feeling: anxious and low
• Behaviour: you avoid them, which keeps the worry alive

CBT teaches you to spot these loops, test whether the thought is accurate, and try a different response. It cannot take your problems away, but it gives you tools to deal with them more effectively.

What Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Can Help With

CBT is used for a wide range of mental and physical health difficulties, including:

• Depression: spotting the negative thought patterns and withdrawal that keep low mood going
• Anxiety, panic attacks and phobias: learning to manage worry and face fears gradually (see our anxiety treatment page)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): using exposure and response prevention
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): reducing avoidance and managing triggers (see our trauma therapy)
• Sleep problems: changing the habits and thoughts that keep insomnia going
• Alcohol and drug problems: building coping skills and relapse prevention (see addiction recovery)
• Long-term pain and other chronic conditions: CBT cannot cure the physical condition, but it can help you cope better with symptoms
• Anger and stress: recognising triggers and responding differently (see anger management)
• Intimacy difficulties and performance anxiety: challenging the beliefs that feed them (see sex therapy)

Some conditions, such as eating disorders, bipolar disorder and psychosis, usually need input from a specialist team alongside any therapy. If this applies to you, we will say so and help you find the right route, and your GP can advise.

Core CBT Techniques

Depending on your goals, your therapist may use techniques such as:

• Thought records and cognitive restructuring: writing down automatic thoughts, testing the evidence for and against them, and building more balanced alternatives
• Behavioural experiments: trying something out to see whether your prediction actually comes true
• Graded exposure: facing feared situations step by step, at a pace you agree
• Behavioural activation: rebuilding routine and rewarding activity when low mood has taken it away
• Relaxation and breathing skills: calming the body’s stress response
• Problem-solving: breaking overwhelming problems into manageable steps

What Happens in a CBT Session

CBT is more than talking about whatever comes to mind. Sessions follow a clear structure so every hour counts:

1. Agree an agenda for the session
2. Review how the previous week went and any practice tasks
3. Work through one issue together, exploring and testing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours
4. Summarise what you have learned
5. Agree a practical task to try before the next session

A course of CBT typically runs between 5 and 20 sessions, usually weekly or fortnightly, depending on what you are working on. We agree a plan after your first consultation and review your progress regularly.

Is CBT Right for Me?

CBT suits people who want a structured, practical approach with clear goals, and it can often be completed in a relatively short time. It works best when you take an active part, including trying out the skills between sessions. It focuses on present patterns rather than exploring your past in depth, and it may need to be combined with other support if your needs are complex. Your first consultation is the time to talk this through honestly.

Meet Your CBT Therapist

CBT at Feeling To Healing is led by Dr Carlo Demarco, a Consultant Psychologist with a PhD in Psychology, a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and an NLP Master Practitioner, with over 30 years of clinical experience. Cognitive behavioural therapy is central to his approach. View Dr Demarco’s profile.

When to Seek Urgent Help

If you ever feel unable to keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call Samaritans free, at any time, on 116 123.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CBT used for?

CBT is used to treat many mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is also used to help people cope with insomnia, problems with alcohol or drugs, and long-term conditions such as chronic pain, IBS and chronic fatigue. Whether it is the right fit for you is something we assess at your first consultation.

Is CBT effective?

CBT is one of the most widely researched talking therapies, and national guidelines in the UK recommend it for conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD. As with any therapy, results vary from person to person, and it works best when you take part actively, including trying out the skills between sessions.

How many CBT sessions will I need?

Courses of CBT typically run between 5 and 20 sessions, usually weekly or fortnightly and lasting 30 to 60 minutes, depending on what you are working on. We agree a plan with you after your first consultation and review your progress regularly.

What is the difference between CBT and counselling?

CBT is structured and goal-focused, teaching practical skills and often including tasks between sessions, and it concentrates mainly on current patterns of thinking and behaviour. Counselling is usually more open-ended and focuses on exploring feelings and experiences. Both can help, and we will talk through which suits you better.

Can I get CBT on the NHS?

Yes. For many problems, such as anxiety and depression, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies or ask your GP for a referral, though waiting times vary. Private CBT with us gives you direct access without a referral.

Do you offer online CBT, and how do I book?

Yes. CBT can be delivered in person, online or by phone, and we offer sessions online and in person in London. You can request an appointment through our website or contact the clinic directly and we will arrange a time that suits you.

Take the First Step Towards Change

You do not have to keep fighting the same thoughts alone. Book a confidential consultation and find out whether CBT is right for you, or read more about our wider psychologist consultations.

This page is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.