Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Therapy
A structured, evidence based therapy that helps people understand and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour that contribute to emotional distress.
Do you feel like your mind is constantly running on a loop? You might find yourself trapped in “what if” scenarios, predicting the worst, or beating yourself up over small mistakes. Or perhaps you feel stuck in behaviours that you know aren’t helping (such as avoiding social situations, procrastinating, or withdrawing) and you don’t know how to stop.
At Fortitudo Therapy, I use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are connected. Together, we focus not only on understanding difficulties but on developing practical tools to create meaningful change.
I provide face to face CBT in Dorset and online CBT across the UK.
Is CBT Right for You?
CBT is a practical, evidence based approach that can be especially helpful if you feel stuck in patterns that seem automatic, overwhelming, or hard to change. It focuses on understanding and shifting the cycles that maintain anxiety, low mood, and distress. CBT may be particularly helpful if you recognise some of the following:
- Catastrophising – Quickly imagining the worst case scenario.
- All or nothing thinking – Seeing things in extremes (e.g., “If I’m not perfect, I’ve failed”).
- Physical anxiety – Experiencing panic, a racing heart, or tension without always knowing why.
- Avoidance – Staying away from situations, people, or tasks that feel difficult, which can strengthen fear over time.
- Rumination – Replaying worries or past events repeatedly without resolution.
- Low motivation – Knowing what you want or need to do, but feeling stuck, heavy, or drained
If these patterns feel familiar, CBT can help you understand what is happening and develop practical tools to create meaningful change.
What is Involved in CBT?
CBT is based on a simple but powerful idea: it is often not events themselves that shape how we feel, but the meaning we attach to them. When situations are interpreted as threatening, overwhelming, or unmanageable, this can maintain anxiety or low mood. By gently exploring and reshaping these patterns, emotional change becomes possible.
- Understanding the Cycle – Together, we explore a specific difficulty and look at how thoughts, physical sensations, emotions, and behaviours interact and reinforce one another.
- Exploring Thoughts – We work collaboratively to examine anxious or self critical thoughts, looking at the evidence for and against them. The aim is not to “think positively,” but to develop a more balanced perspective.
- Shifting Behaviour – I introduce small, manageable steps to test out new ways of responding. This may include gradually facing fears, reducing avoidance, or experimenting with different coping strategies.
- Building Lasting Skills – A key goal of CBT is to help you develop practical tools and strategies you can continue to use long after therapy ends.
Our Values
Empowerment
Collaboration
Inclusivity
Compassion
Integrity
What Can CBT Help With?
CBT is an evidence based approach that can support a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including:
- Anxiety and Worry – Persistent worry, overthinking, feeling on edge, or difficulty switching off.
- Panic and Physical Anxiety – Panic attacks, racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness, or fear of losing control.
- Low Mood and Depression – Loss of motivation, heaviness, withdrawal, hopelessness, or loss of interest in things you once enjoyed.
- Stress and Overwhelm – Feeling stretched, mentally exhausted, or unable to cope with daily demands.
- Stress and Overwhelm – Feeling stretched, mentally exhausted, or unable to cope with daily demands.
- Obsessive Compulsive Difficulties (OCD) – Intrusive thoughts, compulsions, checking, reassurance seeking, or mental rituals.
- Trauma and PTSD – CBT can help process and reduce the ongoing impact of traumatic experiences.
- Low Self Esteem and Self Criticism – Harsh inner voice, feelings of not being “good enough,” or persistent self doubt.
- Perfectionism – Fear of mistakes, high self pressure, and difficulty switching off.
- Avoidance and Feeling Stuck – Avoiding situations, decisions, or tasks, which can keep anxiety or low mood going
I offer a calm, therapy space, available in person or online.
Online CBT Effectiveness
You can learn more on our Online Therapy Dorset page.
Ready to make a change?
If you are tired of feeling at the mercy of your thoughts and feelings, CBT can offer a way out.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This is a common misconception. CBT focuses on realistic, balanced thinking rather than forced positivity. When life is genuinely difficult, simply “thinking positive” can feel invalidating. The aim is balance, not unrealistic optimism.
Yes, though we like to call it “home practice.” The real impact of CBT happens between sessions. During therapy, you’ll learn practical tools and strategies; outside of sessions, you’ll put them into action. This could include briefly tracking your thoughts in a journal, practising a breathing exercise, or trying out a new behaviour.