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ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder)
Do you ever feel like your mind is tuned into ten radio stations
at once, or as if there are twenty browser tabs open in your
head? Perhaps you find yourself constantly on the move, feeling
restless, and struggling to find moments of stillness. If you
regularly face difficulties with concentration, managing
emotions, organisation, impulsivity, restlessness, struggling to
find moments of stillness and often experiencing an intense buzz
of thoughts you are not alone. This can be a daily struggle and
affect your confidence.
Key Take-away
• There is nothing wrong with you—ADHD is a neurological
difference in the way your brain processes information.
• Your brain works in its own unique way; it is simply a
different style of processing information. Some people like
using the term “neurodivergent” to describe brains that process
information differently from those considered neurotypical.
• CBT provides proven strategies that can help you with daily
challenges and to manage the impact of your symptoms and feel
more in control of your life.
Is CBT Effective for ADHD?
CBT can be a real game-changer if you suspect you have ADHD or
are diagnosed with ADHD, CBT gives you down-to-earth tools and
simple routines to help with things like getting organised,
keeping track of time, and focusing on what matters. It enables
you to recognise and address any unhelpful thoughts or
challenging emotions. By practising new ways of thinking and
acting in your day-to-day life, our CBT therapists will help you
make a noticeable difference. It’s about building skills that
help you feel more confident and in control.
How BTA can help you?
No matter what your thinking style or how you describe your
neurological difference, BTA is here to support you. Our CBT
therapists can help you discover and appreciate what makes you
unique. We recognise that individuals have diverse cognitive
approaches, and this diversity is acknowledged and valued.
ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Do you find yourself immersed in heightened sensory experiences,
constantly adjusting to unfamiliar social cues? Do you find
yourself having a mix of heightened joy from special interests
and extreme exhaustion from "masking" (hiding traits) or
managing overwhelming anxiety, sensory overload, and routine
changes. Do you ever notice that you can feel an amazing burst
of happiness from diving into your favourite interests, but at
other times you might feel really worn out from trying to fit
in, deal with anxiety, handle too much sensory input, or cope
when your usual routines get changed?
There are many strengths linked with autism, such as being able
to focus deeply (sometimes called hyperfocus), noticing the
small details that others might miss, and having a unique,
creative or logical way of solving problems. These qualities
help make you who you are and can be a real asset.
ASD shapes how someone experiences, communicates, and interacts
with the world around them. The word "spectrum" is key, it means
each ASD person has their own set of strengths and challenges.
Some may have unique ways of processing sensory information,
strong interests in specific topics, and a real appreciation for
routine and predictability.
How can BTA help?
Our therapists here at BTA will offer guidance and support for a
better understanding of yourself, managing your emotions, and
discovering ways of adapting to new situations. Our therapists
will help you identify the connection between thoughts,
feelings, and behaviours to support you in managing the
challenges associated with Autism. BTA therapists will support
you with CBT techniques that will assist you in improving your
emotional regulation, social understanding, and coping with
change. CBT is highly effective and is tailored to accommodate
thinking styles associated with autism.
Essential points for BTA therapists
using CBT with ASD
• Use Concrete Materials:
Your therapist will opt for visuals, charts, and direct language
over abstract metaphors for clearer communication and
understanding.
• Incorporate Interests: The
therapist will integrate your hobbies to help you more easily
engage when in therapy.
• Slow Down: They will
understand your need for extra time to process and integrate
into your life new and different thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours.
• Adapt Structure: The
session and homework structure will be flexible to meet your
unique sensory needs, with breaks being allowed as needed.
• Emphasising Strengths:
Therapy will focus on recognising your strengths and
self-acceptance to help you appreciate and adapt and work with
your uniqueness in a world that operates differently to you.
• Graded Exposure: Your
therapist will gradually introduce feared situations to decrease
avoidance.
• Evaluate Thoughts: You
will discover how to manage unhelpful thinking.
• Teach Coping Skills:
Therapists will introduce and adapt to your unique needs with
practical strategies.
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
Do you feel like your brain has a security system that is too
sensitive, for instance needing to check things over and over
again. Do you experience a relentless cycle of unwanted
intrusive thoughts that trigger anxiety which compels you to
perform repetitive actions to feel “safe” or "right". Are you
struggling with an ongoing, draining fight against your
thoughts, where concerns about safety, harm, or morals dominate
and affect your everyday routine? OCD affects approximately 1%
to 3% of the worldwide population.
Is CBT Effective for OCD?
OCD can be managed with the right support, and it’s important to
know it has nothing to do with your personality or how tidy you
keep things—despite what people often think. While people
without OCD might recheck a door once, someone with OCD feels an
overwhelming need to check it multiple times to prevent
something "terrible" from happening. They know it's irrational,
but the fear feels very real in the moment.
How can BTA help you?
At BTA, we understand that OCD can
significantly impact daily life, producing considerable
distress, occupying substantial amounts of time with rituals,
and affecting various areas including employment, education,
interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
Fortunately, OCD is treatable. The most effective intervention
is Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP), a specialised
form of CBT. ERP assists individuals in addressing the
repetitive cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive
behaviours.
CBT-Birmingham is a private treatment service which provides
access to CBT therapists working in clinics in the Midlands and
in a selected location in London. We also work online. We take
referrals from individuals, organisations, solicitors, GPs, and
case managers.
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