Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a combination of two types of therapy: cognitive (how we think about things) and behavioural (what we do). NICE guidelines recommend CBT as a frontline therapy for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that a combination of CBT and medication may be the best treatment for many patients with panic disorder. As CBT is moving higher up the therapy agenda, this article takes you through what it is and what it involves in practice.
