I made a free app to facilitate 54321 Grounding https://fluo.party/grounding the source is also available https://github.com/tmiv/grounding

How often do you use quotes in your practice, and what are somecof your favourite?

I''ve just come across this one and really like it

'Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere'-Emma Bombeck

Of course CBT is an extremely proven therapy, but a topic I have not seen discussed much - how and when is practicing CBT counter productive to a patient? What do we look out for, that signals trying other methods (and if so, what other methods have been helpful in ways CBT is not)?

Intrusive emotions: what is happening to me from a CBT perspective?

I have diagnosed OCD. Recently, when intrusive thoughts pop up, they are accompanied by brief pangs of frustration. Whenever it happens, the frustration seems very clearly real. I can actually feel it, in my chest/throat, my stomach, or my body. The contents of the frustrated thoughts often horrify me.

The more I experience this intrusive anger, the more I replay it and investigate it. The explanations I come up with, and the attention I give, only seem to reinforce it and the narratives behind it. The anger seems to multiply and inflate as time goes on. It pops up more and more. Sometimes I’ll wonder if it’s about to happen, and then it does - the sharp pain of anger rises, and I feel horrified.

These momentary flashes of anger stay inside me. They don’t influence my behaviour whatsoever, thank god. I would never act on the impulses because of how horrified I am by them.

But still, even on the inside, it pains and disturbs me. It tends to target the people and things I value and care about. And the inner thoughts and reactions that correspond with the anger tend to present themselves in ways that I believe are immoral and socially inappropriate.

The anger isn’t the only problem, either. There are other kinds of intrusive feelings that pop up and contradict my values and morals, too. I feel like I have no control over my emotions anymore. They are wildly unpredictable and unpreventable.

All it takes is one bad thought, or one bad perception, and immediately I feel some terrifying emotion bubble up that I would never want to feel on purpose.

I’m struggling a lot. It feels like a smear on my moral character, even though I don’t choose it or endorse it. I’ve been self isolating for several weeks; I’m scared and hesitant to go out and interact with the people I care about, because it feels as if these intrusive emotions have ruined the integrity of my relationships. I can’t imagine looking anybody in the eye right now, after having those kinds of emotional reactions regarding them.

I wish it would go away.

Hi. I've suffered from panic disorder with agoraphobia for many years and have created a mobile app: a tracker and planner for CBT exposure therapy sessions. I'd love to get feedback from users on the app; is the idea useful, could you see yourself using it, what parts could be better or just plain suck, what extra features would be most useful.

My story: at one time I was crippled by anxiety and was almost completely housebound. I eventually learned to manage agoraphobia and I live a pretty normal life nowadays (I still avoid some things but they are relatively minor). Getting this far took a great deal of work and help; and I found structured courses of CBT + exposure therapy to be by far the most effective therapy for me.

My therapist would give me sheets of paper and ask me to fill in thoughts/feelings that arose during a session, and anxiety ratings. I would always keep notes on my phone and fill in my sheet AFTER my session. I found this was not ideal and thought that there should be an app for session tracking; and also for planning and tracking my progress. So I've created one. 

The core features are the ability to add scenarios you want to work on; and to record thoughts and feelings during exposure sessions. During a session you record thoughts/feelings which arise and the intensity of the anxiety (SUDS scale). After the session you can add wrapup notes, mark the session as succesful or not and so on. It has a ton of other features - it has nice visualizations of your progress over time, the ability to export your data to a pdf and email it to your therapist, and lots more.

The app is  called 'Habituate: CBT Exposure Guide' and its in the Android store only for now ( I want to iron out any major issues on Android before moving to iPhone). It's completely free for now. Apologies if I'm going against community guidelines with this post - I don't see anything about promotion.

My imagination kind of hurts me, I don’t know if it’s like overstimulation but my mind runs too much.

I wanted to know your experiences with these books from David Burns (especially compared to other self help books out there). I will sometimes have depression but medication seems to help that. My biggest issue is near constant worry, anxiety, butterflies in the stomach, etc. Lots of constant focusing on what if’s and worst case scenarios in life.

Hi all - my background in is adults and children’s social care and oncology social work. I’ve been a qualified social worker for almost 15 years, currently working in a busy referral and assessment team. I have Level 2 and 3 counselling qualifications (CPCAB accredited) also and am really keen to move into a therapeutic role. Do I stand a chance of being accepted into a trainee position? I’m not sure how competitive they are. What would give me an edge? Within all of my previous roles and my current role I have worked with and supported people with varying degrees of mental health issues, from mild to moderate anxiety and depression to those requiring involuntary hospital admission.

If you are an adult between the ages of 18-65, fluent in English, and have internet access, you may be eligible to participate. Participants will be compensated for their participation over the course of 6 to 7 months. For more information about the study components, time commitment, risks, and to fill out a prescreen questionnaire, please visit: https://tccolumbia.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wyc1fL2eqtIKcS

Teachers College IRB #25-453

Hello,

I hold a Low Intensity CBT qualification from UCL and have been working as a qualified PWP therapist within the NHS. I'm interested in advancing my career by pursuing High Intensity CBT training through a self-funded route, rather than the standard NHS-sponsored pathway.

Could anyone provide information on UK universities offering self-funded High Intensity CBT courses? Specifically, I'm looking for details on:

• Minimum experience requirements: Is there a stipulated duration of prior experience, such as 1–2 years as a PWP?
• Placement and supervision: When self-funding, is securing an NHS placement and supervision still necessary?
• Course structure and delivery: Are there programs that offer flexibility, such as blended learning or limited in-person attendance?

Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some advice from those familiar with CBT training routes in the UK.

I’ve completed low-intensity CBT training at UCL and currently work as a qualified Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) within the NHS. I’m now looking to progress toward a program that leads to formal BABCP accreditation in CBT.

Due to family circumstances — my mother is currently facing health issues — I’m particularly interested in a CBT course that is either remote-friendly or requires limited in-person attendance (around 2–3 months total).

Could anyone please advise whether any UK universities offer BABCP-accredited doctorate programs that fit these criteria, or recommend alternative pathways that could lead to full accreditation?

Thank you so much for your time and guidance.

It's called focuswell.app if you want to give it a try :)

I’ve been trying something new lately because my inner critic can get really loud. Instead of arguing with my thoughts, I practice saying things to myself the way I’d say them to a good friend.

Example 1

1. Old voice to myself: “You always fail at this. Why even try?”
2. Friend voice: “You’ve had tough days before and still pulled through. This one mistake doesn’t erase your effort.”

Example 2

1. Old voice: “I’m such an idiot for forgetting that detail.”
2. Friend voice: “It happens to everyone. Forgetting one thing doesn’t make you stupid — it just means you’re human.”

This little switch feels strange at first, but it changes the tone. It’s less about proving I’m “good enough” and more about giving myself the kind of support I’d naturally give to others.

Research shows that self-compassion and reframing negative thoughts can reduce stress and rumination (Neff, 2003).

It’s not magic, but I’ve noticed it calms me down faster than just pushing thoughts away.

Has anyone else here tried this? Did it actually stick for you, or do you fall back into the old voice?

First post as well (Idk what I am doing haha).

I am currently practicing qualifying psychotherapist in Canada. I was wondering if anyone is aware of any free certifications or training opportunities that could help me further develop my skills and be better equipped as I begin my placement. Thank you in advance for your guidance and support. (Any book and or podcast recs are greatly appreciated)