CBT for anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or CBT) is a tried and tested therapy method. It offers psychosocial intervention to improve various mental health conditions.

As well as cognitive behavioural therapy for sleep anxiety, it can also help with stress, depression, and phobias.

In a previous piece, we highlighted the benefits of CBT in the workplace. As well as explaining the theory behind CBT counselling, we also explored the differences between it and other forms of counselling.

This time around, we’re looking at how CBT offers coping skills for anxiety. We’ll explore the effects of anxiety on daily life and how you can support your employees in managing it at work.

Due to the changing nature of the work environment, it’s not uncommon for employees to experience work-related stress and anxiety about going to work.

According to the HSE, one in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point.

With anxiety and depression being among the most common mental health problems, it’s no wonder employers are embracing the growing availability of cognitive behavioural therapy to help support their employees.

As well as anxiety counselling, this form of therapy also helps with many other conditions including:

• Bipolar disorder.
• Borderline personality disorder.
• Eating disorders.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Panic disorder.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Watch Health Assured's Head of Clinical Support, Kayleigh Frost speaking to counsellor Sajid Iqbal, about anxiety, how it affects us and how you can manage it with CBT Therapy.

Supporting employees with cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety

Providing your staff with access to CBT services can have a variety of positive effects for your employees and business in general.

CBT therapy for anxiety examines the employee’s problems, thoughts and behavioural patterns to work out ways of changing their negative thoughts and behaviours. Its aim is to control, reduce or stop damaging thought cycles by making them more manageable.

As well as maintaining and improving their general health and mental wellbeing, these CBT steps for anxiety also provide an outlet for any negative thoughts and a means of balancing the pressures of work with the needs of home and personal life.

By using a professional service, your staff can engage with an expert who’ll offer effective CBT techniques for anxiety.

Three techniques often taught are:

1. Focusing on how feelings aren’t permanent and are able to change with time.
2. Thinking it over and acting like normal. This involves controlling the feeling of anxiety with behaviours that alter the feedback to the fear response system.
3. Investigating the underlying assumption and coming to logical conclusions.

When done correctly, anxiety counselling should be able to identify and breakdown problems into five areas. These are the main basis on which CBT was built.

Experts believe these areas are interconnected and can affect each other. These are:

1. Situations.
2. Thoughts.
3. Emotions.
4. Physical feelings.
5. Actions.

CBT worksheets for anxiety

While the time the employee spends with the counsellor is important, a key aspect of the change process is independent homework.

It involves using tools and resources to help sufferers consider their thinking.

Worksheets, for example, are a series of questions designed as a systematic guide. It aims to lead employees through the process of identifying their negative thinking patterns and changing them.

If you need any assistance with these resources, you can get in touch with us for support.

Expert support

If you’d like to find out more information on any of the topics mentioned in this article, please contact Health Assured on 0844 892 2493.