What does a cognitive behavioural therapist do? Cognitive behavioural therapists are therapists who specialise in a particular type of therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and can help by providing: – Guidance to teach the person to recognise unhelpful thoughts (also referred to as ‘thinking distortions’ or ‘negative automatic thoughts’), and change those thoughts to make them more realistic – Other techniques that focus on changing behaviour, e.g., tools to problem solve or improve social skills Cognitive behavioural therapists are not medically qualified so cannot prescribe medication. CBT is based on the idea that how we think not only affects the way we feel, but also how we behave. For example, feeling hopeless about friendships may cause a person to withdraw from social contact and therefore not notice attempts from friends to reach out. The aim of CBT is to change thoughts and behaviours so that a person’s mood and feelings improve in the long run. CBT is not suitable for people who are severely unwell and unable to develop new thinking skills – once people have begun to recover with medical treatment, however, CBT may be helpful (113). Medication The young person you are supporting may want to discuss medication options and the possible steps to recovery. Offer to share the following information and remind the young person that you aren’t a clinician and can’t speak to the appropriateness or effectiveness of specific medications.
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