What is CBT?
Cognitive behaviour therapy is a goal-oriented therapy based on two central ideas:
- Our thoughts have a major influence on our emotions and our behaviour.
- Our behaviours can strongly influence our thoughts and emotions.
Therapy
Therapy starts with a thorough assessment of the problem taking into account your current situation and relevant past events. The goal of therapy is to help you develop effective ways of coping that you can use independently in the future. In other words, you learn to help yourself cope effectively with life’s challenges.
Tried and Tested
CBT has been developed over the last forty years and is the approach to treatment that has been most thoroughly evaluated scientifically and shown to be effective for a wide range of problems. Special training in CBT is required to be skilful in helping people achieve their therapy goals.
There is good evidence that the gains achieved in therapy are maintained after completing treatment. Some people will benefit from booster (or tune up) sessions if they encounter difficulties in the months and years after completing treatment.
Tribute to Dr. John Walker
Dr. John Walker had a passion for providing evidence-based treatments for anxiety and related disorders. In keeping with this passion, he co-founded The Cognitive Behavior Institute of Manitoba with the vision of being a centre of excellence in CBT-based treatments. He believed that conducting research and providing evidence-based training for new clinicians were important ways to serve the community and he was greatly involved in both. In each endeavour, Dr. Walker brought exceptional kindness and compassion to everything he did. Sadly, Dr. Walker passed away in 2018 but his values live on in us at CBTI as we continue to keep his legacy alive.
