Psychological treatment, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), has been found to be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse, which are the most common mental health conditions, affecting up to 20% of the population. Twenty percent of children and adolescents develop anxiety, depression and anxiety disorder.
Further psychological issues include: ageing positively, bullying, eating disorders, helping children develop a positive self-image, learning disabilities, relationship problems and solutions, psychological trauma, and stress.
A psychologist uses the scientifically proven therapeutic intervention of CBT to treat these issues. CBT is made up of two components. The first component, cognitive therapy, is based on the idea that a person’s thoughts in response to a situation or life event, causes the difficult feelings and behaviors, not the situation or event itself. The aim of CBT is to help people identify unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs, and to replace them with more positive and helpful ways of thinking. The second component of CBT – behavior therapy involves assistance with changing these behaviors.
Psychological treatment also incorporates teaching relaxation techniques, meditation, making healthy lifestyle choices, such as increasing exercise, reducing caffeine and smoking.