Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Perth
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a psychological approach that explores the connections between thoughts, emotions and behaviours and how these patterns can influence the way we experience and respond to situations.
Bilingual Psychology provides Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Perth where CBT is considered appropriate to a person's individual circumstances and psychological needs.
Sessions are provided by registered psychologist Lin Tan from our Willetton practice, with psychological services available in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
CBT may be considered when working with concerns including anxiety, depression, panic, social anxiety and stress. The approach used in therapy will depend on your individual circumstances and clinical assessment.
Contact Bilingual Psychology to discuss psychological support and appointment availability.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is commonly referred to as CBT. CBT is based on the understanding that thoughts, emotions and behaviours can influence one another. For example, the way a person interprets a difficult situation can influence how they feel and what they subsequently do. Those behaviours can then reinforce existing thoughts and emotional responses. CBT can involve identifying these patterns and exploring whether there are different ways of thinking about or responding to situations. Rather than focusing only on what you think, CBT can consider the interaction between: •Thoughts •Beliefs •Emotions •Behaviours •Physical responses •Situations and experiences The specific way CBT is used varies according to the person and the concerns being addressed.
How Does CBT Work?
A simplified CBT model can be understood as:
Situation → Thoughts → Emotions → Physical Responses → Behaviour
These elements can influence one another.
Imagine someone is asked to give a presentation at work.
They might think:
“I'm going to make a mistake and everyone will think I'm incompetent.”
That thought may contribute to anxiety, physical tension and a desire to avoid the presentation.
Avoiding the situation may provide short-term relief, but it can also make it harder to develop confidence in managing similar situations in the future.
CBT may involve identifying patterns such as these and exploring alternative ways of interpreting and responding to situations.
The aim is not simply to replace every negative thought with a positive one. Therapy may instead involve examining whether thoughts are accurate or helpful and developing more flexible ways of responding.
What Can CBT Be Used For?
CBT can be applied to a range of psychological and emotional concerns.
Depending on your circumstances and whether CBT is clinically appropriate, it may form part of psychological support for concerns such as:
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Anxiety
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Depression and low mood
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Panic attacks
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Social anxiety
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Stress
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Persistent worry
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Avoidance
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Difficulties managing emotions
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Unhelpful behavioural patterns
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Sleep-related concerns
CBT is not automatically the appropriate approach for every person or every concern.
Your psychologist can consider your circumstances, symptoms, preferences and goals when discussing possible approaches to therapy.
CBT for Depression
Depression can influence the way a person thinks about themselves, their circumstances and the future.
Low mood can also affect behaviour. Activities may become more difficult, motivation may decrease and people may withdraw from routines, relationships or activities that previously provided meaning or enjoyment.
CBT for depression may explore interactions between these thoughts, emotions and behavioural changes.
Depending on the person's circumstances, psychological therapy may involve identifying unhelpful patterns of thinking and gradually working towards behavioural changes that support meaningful activity and engagement.
Depression can vary considerably in severity and presentation, so appropriate assessment is important.
CBT for Anxiety
Anxiety can involve patterns of worry, fear, physical arousal and avoidance.
CBT for anxiety may involve developing a clearer understanding of situations that trigger anxiety and the thoughts, behaviours and physical responses associated with them.
For example, therapy may explore:
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Patterns of excessive worry
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Catastrophic thinking
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Avoidance
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Reassurance seeking
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Safety behaviours
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Responses to uncertainty
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Physical symptoms associated with anxiety
Where appropriate, CBT may also involve gradually changing behaviours that maintain anxiety and developing different ways of responding to anxious thoughts.
CBT for Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can involve sudden periods of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by strong physical sensations.
These may include:
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Racing heartbeat
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Rapid breathing
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Sweating
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Trembling
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Dizziness
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Chest discomfort
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Feeling detached or unreal
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Fear that something serious is happening
After experiencing a panic attack, some people become highly alert to physical sensations or begin worrying about when another attack might occur.
This can sometimes lead to avoiding situations associated with previous panic experiences.
CBT may involve exploring interpretations of physical sensations, patterns of anticipatory anxiety and behaviours that may be maintaining fear.
Because symptoms associated with panic can overlap with physical health conditions, new or unexplained physical symptoms should be appropriately medically assessed.
CBT for Social Anxiety
Social anxiety can involve significant fear or worry about social situations, particularly when a person is concerned about embarrassment, rejection or being negatively evaluated by others.
Someone experiencing social anxiety may avoid:
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Social gatherings
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Speaking in groups
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Meeting unfamiliar people
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Presentations
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Eating or performing tasks around others
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Situations where they may become the focus of attention
CBT may explore the thoughts and predictions occurring before or during these situations, as well as avoidance and other behaviours that can maintain anxiety.
Where clinically appropriate, therapy may also involve gradually approaching feared situations in a structured way.
CBT for Stress
Stress is a normal response to challenging circumstances, but ongoing stress can affect emotional wellbeing and everyday functioning.
Sources of stress may include:
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Work
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Study
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Relationships
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Family responsibilities
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Financial pressures
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Health concerns
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Major life changes
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Cultural or family expectations
CBT may help identify patterns of thinking and behaviour that influence how a person responds to stressful circumstances.
This does not mean that stress is simply caused by someone's thinking. External circumstances can create genuine pressures.
Psychological therapy can instead consider both the circumstances themselves and how a person responds to them.
Is CBT Used for Postpartum Depression?
Psychological therapies may form part of care for people experiencing depression during the perinatal or postpartum period.
CBT is one psychological approach that may be considered depending on the person's symptoms, circumstances and clinical needs.
Postpartum emotional and psychological difficulties can involve a range of factors, so assessment and appropriate healthcare support are important.
If you are concerned about your mental health during pregnancy or after having a baby, consider discussing your symptoms with your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.
What Happens During CBT?
CBT is generally collaborative. Your psychologist works with you to understand the difficulties you are experiencing and the patterns that may be contributing to them.
While sessions vary according to the individual, CBT may involve the following stages.
01
Understanding Your Concerns
Early sessions provide an opportunity to discuss what you are experiencing, relevant circumstances and what you would like support with.
02
Identifying Patterns
You and your psychologist may explore connections between situations, thoughts, emotions, physical responses and behaviours.
The aim is to identify patterns relevant to the difficulties you are experiencing.
03
Developing Goals
You can discuss what you would like to work towards through therapy.
Goals should reflect your individual circumstances rather than following the same template for everyone.
04
Exploring Different Strategies
Depending on your needs, therapy may involve strategies for examining thoughts, changing behavioural patterns, managing difficult situations or gradually approaching situations you have been avoiding.
05
Applying Skills Outside Sessions
CBT may involve practising or observing certain strategies between appointments.
This can help connect what is discussed during therapy with situations occurring in everyday life.
06
Reviewing Progress
Your psychologist can review your experiences and progress with you and adjust the approach where appropriate.
Does CBT Just Teach You to Think Positively?
No.
CBT is sometimes misunderstood as simply replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.
Instead, CBT may involve examining whether particular thoughts or interpretations are accurate, helpful or supported by available evidence.
For example, someone might move from:
“If I make one mistake, everyone will think I'm incompetent.”
towards a more balanced perspective such as:
“I may make a mistake, but one mistake does not necessarily determine how other people see me.”
The aim is not to pretend difficult circumstances do not exist. It is to develop greater flexibility in how situations are understood and responded to.
What Is the Difference Between Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours?
Understanding the distinction between thoughts, emotions and behaviours is an important part of the CBT model.
Thoughts are the words, interpretations or images that occur in your mind.
Emotions are feelings such as anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt or happiness.
Behaviours are the actions you take or avoid taking in response to situations.
For example:
Situation: You send someone a message and they do not reply.
Thought: “I've upset them.”
Emotion: Anxiety.
Behaviour: Repeatedly checking your phone or sending another message seeking reassurance.
CBT can help explore these patterns and whether alternative responses may be useful.
What Are Automatic Thoughts?
Automatic thoughts are thoughts or interpretations that can occur quickly in response to a situation.
Sometimes they happen so rapidly that you notice the emotional response before recognising the thought that contributed to it.
Examples might include:
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“I'm going to fail.”
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“They don't like me.”
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“Something bad is going to happen.”
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“I can't cope with this.”
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“I've ruined everything.”
Having these thoughts does not mean they are necessarily accurate.
CBT may involve learning to notice automatic thoughts and examine how they influence emotions and behaviour.
What Are Unhelpful Thinking Patterns?
People can sometimes develop recurring ways of interpreting situations that contribute to emotional distress.
Examples can include:
All-or-nothing thinking – interpreting situations in extremes.
Catastrophising – expecting the worst possible outcome.
Mind reading – assuming you know what another person is thinking without sufficient evidence.
Overgeneralising – drawing broad conclusions from one experience.
Focusing on negatives – giving greater attention to negative information while overlooking other information.
Recognising these patterns does not mean every difficult thought is irrational or incorrect.
CBT considers the context and evidence surrounding a person's interpretations rather than automatically labelling thoughts as wrong.
Does CBT Involve Homework?
CBT may involve activities or exercises between sessions where these are appropriate.
These might include:
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Observing patterns of thoughts and emotions
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Keeping brief records
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Practising strategies discussed during sessions
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Trying different behaviours
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Gradually approaching situations that have been avoided
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Reflecting on how particular situations were handled
These activities can help apply what is discussed in therapy to everyday situations.
Your psychologist can discuss whether between-session activities are appropriate and how they relate to your therapy goals.
How Long Does CBT Take?
There is no single number of CBT sessions that is appropriate for everyone.
The duration of psychological therapy can depend on:
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The concerns being addressed
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Their severity and complexity
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Your individual circumstances
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Your therapy goals
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How you respond to the approach
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Other psychological or health considerations
Your psychologist can discuss the proposed approach with you and review progress throughout therapy.
Is CBT Right for Everyone?
No single psychological approach is appropriate for every person.
CBT may be suitable for some people and concerns, while another therapeutic approach or combination of approaches may be more appropriate for others.
Factors such as your symptoms, circumstances, preferences, goals and clinical needs can all influence how psychological support is approached.
An initial psychological assessment can help inform these decisions.
CBT and Culturally Responsive Psychology
Thoughts and beliefs do not develop independently of culture, family and life experiences.
Ideas about success, relationships, responsibility, family, emotions and identity can be influenced by cultural context.
For multicultural clients, psychological therapy may sometimes involve experiences relating to:
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Family expectations
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Intergenerational differences
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Migration
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Cultural identity
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Academic or career expectations
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Relationships and marriage
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Balancing individual and family priorities
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Communication across languages or cultures
Where relevant, these experiences can be considered when understanding the patterns being explored through therapy.
CBT in English, Mandarin and Cantonese
Bilingual Psychology provides psychological services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Being able to discuss thoughts, emotions and personal experiences in a familiar language may be particularly useful when psychological experiences are closely connected to family or cultural context.
Clients can discuss their preferred language when enquiring about an appointment.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Willetton, Perth
Bilingual Psychology provides psychological services from Willetton, Western Australia.
CBT and other psychological approaches are provided by registered psychologist Lin Tan where clinically appropriate.
Lin works with individuals and couples experiencing a range of psychological, emotional and relationship concerns and provides psychological services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Book a CBT Appointment in Perth
If you are considering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, an initial appointment can provide an opportunity to discuss what you are experiencing and whether CBT or another psychological approach may be appropriate.
Bilingual Psychology provides psychological services from Willetton, Perth, with appointments available in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Contact Bilingual Psychology to enquire about psychological services and appointment availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a psychological approach that examines connections between thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
CBT can involve identifying patterns associated with psychological difficulties and developing different ways of thinking about or responding to situations.
What does CBT stand for?
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
In Australia, “behavioural” is generally written using Australian/British spelling, although you may also encounter the American term “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” online.
What conditions can CBT be used for?
CBT may be used as part of psychological support for a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, panic, social anxiety and stress.
Whether CBT is appropriate depends on the individual and should be considered according to their circumstances and clinical needs.
Can CBT help with anxiety?
CBT is one psychological approach that may be used when working with anxiety.
Therapy may involve understanding patterns of anxious thinking, avoidance and behaviour and developing different ways of responding to situations.
Can CBT be used for depression?
CBT may form part of psychological treatment for depression.
Depending on the individual, CBT may explore patterns of thinking and behaviour associated with low mood and consider strategies for changing patterns that contribute to ongoing difficulties.
Can CBT help with panic attacks?
CBT may be used when working with panic-related concerns.
This can involve exploring interpretations of physical sensations, fear of future panic attacks, avoidance and other patterns associated with panic.
Because symptoms of panic can overlap with physical health conditions, appropriate medical assessment may also be important.
Can CBT be used for social anxiety?
CBT may be considered for social anxiety.
Therapy may explore concerns about judgement or embarrassment, predictions about social situations and avoidance behaviours. Where appropriate, treatment may also involve gradually approaching situations that cause anxiety.
Does CBT involve changing negative thoughts?
CBT can involve examining thoughts and interpretations that contribute to emotional difficulties.
The aim is not simply to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Instead, CBT may involve developing more balanced, flexible or evidence-based ways of interpreting situations.
Does CBT involve homework?
Sometimes.
CBT can include activities between appointments, such as observing thoughts and emotions or practising strategies discussed during sessions.
Whether this forms part of therapy depends on your circumstances and the approach agreed with your psychologist.
How many CBT sessions do I need?
There is no standard number of CBT sessions suitable for everyone.
The duration of therapy depends on the concerns being addressed, your circumstances, therapy goals, progress and clinical needs.
Do I need a referral for CBT?
You can contact Bilingual Psychology directly to enquire about psychological services.
If you wish to access Medicare rebates, speak with your GP and Bilingual Psychology about current eligibility and referral requirements.
Is CBT available in Mandarin or Cantonese?
Bilingual Psychology provides psychological services in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
This allows clients to discuss psychological experiences in their preferred language where appropriate.
Where can I access CBT in Perth?
Bilingual Psychology provides psychology services from Willetton, Western Australia.
Registered psychologist Lin Tan provides psychological services, including CBT where appropriate to the client's circumstances and clinical needs.