Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological treatment that focuses on how people can change themselves. This treatment:

• focuses on the idea that any situation can be taken in a number of ways. How a person thinks about or interprets a situation can influence their feelings about it (emotions) and their reaction to it (behaviour).
• explains that if a person thinks about a situation in an overly negative way, this can lead to feelings and reactions that are unhelpful and unwanted.
• helps the person with BPII to develop strategies to challenge and change unhelpful thinking, emotions and behaviours. Some examples of these types of thoughts are: “I am a hopeless failure” or “No one is interested in what I have to say.”
• aims to decrease symptoms and relapse risk.
• CBT includes between 6 and 20 sessions, which are about an hour and take place each week for up to six months. The actual number of sessions will vary from one person to another based on individual needs. It is usually recommended to attend CBT sessions over the longer-term.

A model showing the main parts of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)