CBT for Stress and Overwhelm

Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Stress isn’t a diagnosis in the way depression or anxiety are, but when the pressure doesn’t let up it can leave you worn out, on edge and unable to switch off.

How does CBT help with stress?

CBT is a practical, evidence-based talking therapy that looks at how our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical reactions interact. We work together to understand what is keeping the pressure going. Sometimes that is the demands themselves. Often it is also the standards we hold ourselves to and the habits we fall into to cope, such as taking on too much, putting things off or never quite stopping.

From there we develop practical coping strategies for day-to-day pressures, so that you have a ‘toolbox’ you can keep using after therapy ends.

What happens in CBT sessions?

CBT is practical and collaborative. We set clear goals, start with what would make the biggest difference to you, and try out new ways of thinking and responding. The aim isn’t to keep you in therapy for as long as possible. It’s to help you become your own therapist so that you can manage things independently.

If the standards you set yourself are part of the picture, you might also find it helpful to read CBT for Perfectionism: Break Free from Impossible Standards.