What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, usually shortened to CBT, is a structured, practical form of talking therapy. Developed from the work of psychiatrists and psychologists including Aaron Beck in the 1960s, it is now one of the most widely used and thoroughly researched therapies in the world.
CBT is based on a simple but powerful idea: that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are all connected, and that by changing unhelpful patterns of thinking and doing, we can change how we feel. Rather than focusing mainly on the past, CBT works largely in the present, on the patterns keeping a difficulty going now, and gives you practical skills you can use for the rest of your life.
At Integro Health, CBT is delivered by registered therapists in a warm, non-judgemental environment in South West WA, in person or online.
How CBT works
CBT starts from the observation that it is often not events themselves that distress us, but the way we interpret them. A single situation can lead to very different feelings depending on the thoughts we have about it. When those thoughts are harsh, catastrophic, or distorted, and when we respond with unhelpful behaviours like avoidance, they can trap us in a cycle that keeps a problem alive.
In CBT, you and your therapist work together to notice those patterns, test whether the thoughts are accurate or helpful, and gradually replace unhelpful responses with more balanced, workable ones. This often includes practical strategies such as facing feared situations step by step, changing habits that maintain low mood, and learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts. Many people are given small things to try between sessions, which is where a lot of the change happens.
Because it is practical and skills-based, CBT tends to give people tools they can keep using long after therapy ends.
How CBT works in practice
CBT is structured and collaborative, and it usually follows a clear arc. You are an active participant throughout, and you leave with practical skills, not just insight.
Understanding the pattern
Together, we map out how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interacting to keep the difficulty going. Seeing the cycle clearly, often for the first time, is a powerful starting point.
Setting goals
We agree on what you want to be different and set clear, achievable goals. CBT is focused and practical, so we know what we are working toward and can see progress as it comes.
Learning and practising skills
You learn practical techniques for working with unhelpful thoughts and changing patterns of behaviour, and you try them out in real life, which is where the real change happens.
Facing what you have avoided
Where avoidance is keeping a problem going, we gently and gradually face feared situations, always at a pace you control, so your confidence grows and the fear loses its grip.
Consolidating and moving on
As you improve, we help you become your own therapist, ready to handle setbacks, so the gains last well beyond our final session.
Meet our practitioners
At Integro Health, CBT is delivered by registered clinicians and qualified therapists with genuine warmth and years of experience. Take a moment to read about our practitioners and find the right fit for you.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What CBT can help with
Anxiety
Practical, evidence-based help for worry, racing thoughts, and constant unease, so you can feel safe in your own life again.…
Anxiety →
Depression
Warm, judgement-free support for depression and persistent low mood, helping you find your way back toward feeling like yourself. In…
Depression →
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Break the OCD cycle with proven approaches like exposure and response prevention, at a pace you can manage. In Bunbury…
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder →
Panic
Take the fear out of panic attacks by understanding what is really happening in your body. Effective, evidence-based support in…
Panic →
Phobias
Overcome specific fears with gradual, fully-in-your-control exposure therapy, one of the most effective treatments there is. In Bunbury and online.
Phobias →
Stress
Support to understand what is driving chronic stress and build a more sustainable way to live, before it tips into…
Stress →Why Integro Health
Registered, experienced clinicians
Your therapy is delivered by registered clinicians and qualified therapists trained in the approach. Experience and genuine care come as standard.
A whole-person approach
We look at every part of you, your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and circumstances, because difficulties rarely sit in just one area of life.
The right approach for you
We use CBT where it genuinely fits, and draw on other evidence-based approaches when they would help, rather than forcing a one-size formula.
In Bunbury and online
See us in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury, or by secure telehealth anywhere in South West WA and beyond. The choice is yours.
Is CBT effective? The evidence
CBT has one of the largest evidence bases of any psychological therapy. It is recommended as a first-line treatment for a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, panic, OCD, and insomnia, by clinical guidelines in Australia and internationally, and it is endorsed by bodies such as the Australian Psychological Society.
Hundreds of studies have shown CBT to be effective, and because it is structured and skills-focused, its benefits often continue after therapy ends, as people keep using what they have learned. For many concerns, it is considered the gold-standard psychological treatment.
Of course, no therapy suits everyone or guarantees a particular result. CBT works best when you are willing to engage actively, including trying things between sessions. Where a different or deeper approach would serve you better, such as schema therapy for long-standing patterns or EMDR for trauma, we will say so and tailor accordingly.
What to expect in a CBT session
CBT sessions are structured and collaborative. You will not be lying on a couch talking about your childhood while someone nods. Instead, you and your clinician work as a team on clearly agreed goals.
A typical session might involve reviewing how the past week went, looking at a specific situation and the thoughts and behaviours around it, learning or practising a technique, and agreeing something to try before the next session. It is active, focused, and practical, and you always understand why you are doing what you are doing. Sessions usually run for around 50 minutes.
You can read more about what to expect on our first session page.
Is CBT right for you?
CBT may be a great fit if you want a practical, focused approach that gives you tools to use in daily life, and if you are willing to be an active participant, including trying things between sessions. It is particularly well suited to difficulties driven by patterns of thinking and behaviour, such as anxiety, low mood, worry, and avoidance.
CBT is not the only good option. Some people prefer a more open, exploratory approach, or are working through deep, long-standing patterns or trauma that call for approaches like schema therapy or EMDR. Often the best therapy blends approaches. If you are not sure what would suit you, reaching out is a good first step, and we can help you decide together.
Your questions answered
Both are talking therapies, but they have a different emphasis. Counselling offers a supportive space to talk things through and is often more open-ended, while CBT is more structured and focused, working on specific patterns of thinking and behaviour with practical techniques and goals. Many people benefit from elements of both, and our practitioners blend approaches to suit you.
CBT is often relatively brief. For many concerns, a course of roughly 6 to 20 sessions is common, though this varies with the difficulty and how long it has been present. Because it is skills-based, many people continue to improve after therapy ends. We agree a plan with you and review progress as we go.
CBT provided by a registered psychologist can attract a Medicare rebate if you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, which covers up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We are happy to explain what applies to you and talk through the options and costs before you begin.
Often, yes, though we prefer to think of it as practice rather than homework. Trying things out between sessions, in real life, is where much of the change in CBT happens. The tasks are agreed with you, tailored to your goals, and always manageable. You get out of CBT what you put in, and we support you throughout.
No. CBT is not about forcing yourself to think positively or ignoring real problems. It is about noticing when thoughts are unhelpful or inaccurate, testing them honestly, and finding more balanced, realistic ways of seeing things, alongside practical changes in behaviour. It respects that some situations are genuinely hard.
Yes. We offer sessions by secure telehealth across South West WA and Australia-wide, as well as in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury. For most people online sessions are just as effective, and they are especially helpful if you are in a regional area or short on time. You can read more on our online therapy page.
No referral is needed to book a session. You can contact us directly to arrange a first appointment. If you would like to access a Medicare rebate through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, and we can guide you through that.
CBT is effective for many concerns, including anxiety, depression, panic, OCD, phobias, sleep problems, and stress. If you are not sure whether it fits your situation, we are happy to advise.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
