Research has shown that for most conditions group treatment is as effective as individual CBT.

The groups are not primarily interactive, but resemble a class where people can share their own material, and learn from the techniques suggested for both their and others’ problems.

The emphasis throughout is on developing your own therapeutic toolbox, and designing experiments to help you try out new ways of living out in the world. About 20% of the change happens in the session, the other 80% depends on what you do outside.

These sessions are loosely structured so that over a six to eight week period participants will gain knowledge of (and have a chance to practise) the main CBT techniques: formulating a problem, activity scheduling, doing thought records, carrying out behavioural experiments, and exploring underlying beliefs and assumptions.

We will also introduce the therapeutic application of Mindfulness, although this will be more thoroughly investigated in the Mindfulness Programme itself.