Guided self-help, also known as low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), is an evidence-based treatment most helpful for people experiencing mild to moderate:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Panic or phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Sleep difficulties
We know that our thoughts, emotions, bodily-sensations and behaviours are constantly interacting and influencing one another, and people often describe feeling stuck in a cycle of low mood or anxiety. Guided self-help involves understanding how your thoughts and your behaviours affect the way you feel, both emotionally and physically. You will then learn tools and techniques to manage these symptoms, which will in turn help to break that vicious cycle.
Guided self-help treatments
Guided self-help is short-term, structured, and will focus on your symptoms in the here and now. It is a collaborative process, where you are guided through tools and techniques to support you in managing your symptoms. Your progress and safety will be regularly monitored throughout your treatment so we can ensure you’re getting the most out of it. The type of treatment will differ depending on your individual symptoms, and will include one of the below:
Behavioural activation
Behavioural activation targets the role of avoidance in depression. This treatment focuses on activities to help you re-establish daily routines, increase pleasurable activities and address important necessary issues.
Worry management
This treatment involves reducing the amount of time you spend worrying, by learning techniques that help you let worries go and problem solve them where needed. Relaxation helps reduce the physical symptoms which can play a big part in anxiety.
Cognitive restructuring
Cognitive restructuring involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and then working to change these by identifying, examining and challenging them.
Sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene involves the practice of following guidelines to promote more restful and effective sleep, to increase daytime alertness and to overcome problems with sleeping at night.
Graded exposure
Exposure is the planned, therapeutic confrontation to a feared situation, object or memory. This is a highly effective treatment for many anxiety disorders, where behavioural avoidance is a key maintaining factor.
Problem solving
A treatment which you can use when your problems appear initially too big to solve. This practical approach works by helping you take a step back from your problems and consider what solutions might exist.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP is an evidence-based treatment for symptoms of OCD. It aims to put you in charge of controlling your OCD by breaking the link between your obsessional thoughts and the compulsive things you do to reduce the anxiety they cause.
How is the treatment delivered?
Treatment can be delivered in several different ways. All the options have an evidence base for their effectiveness and one is not thought to be more effective than the other. Clients often base their choice on their preferred learning style, and how treatment can be best accommodated around their lifestyle.
Treatment are delivered at the same day and same time and can be:
One to one
Up to six 30-minute sessions with a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) who is trained to help clients learn CBT techniques, to improve their mood or anxiety. Sessions are delivered either over the phone, via video using Microsoft Teams, or in person.
Online
Using our computerised CBT (cCBT) service SilverCloud. Clients work through a series of personalised modules in their own time and space, and at their own pace. They are supported by a PWP who reviews their progress every two weeks up to six times (six sessions) and is on hand to answer questions whilst they work through the treatment.
Groups
We offer a range of psycho-educational courses for specific difficulties. These are delivered by our PWPs weekly, for 6 weeks. These sessions take place either in person or online, as a group. Sessions are 1.5 hours and cover a range of CBT techniques to support your symptoms
