About - Brief Strategic (Cognitive) Therapy

Rapid Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

Brief Strategic Therapy involves a range of modern strategic therapeutic approaches to rapidly treat anxiety based problems and disorders. These approaches are based upon the psychological understanding of how our minds (cognition) can either learn to create stress and anxiety, or learn how to cope with stress and anxiety, thus overcoming fearful situations.

Brief Strategic Therapy works on the understanding that in today's modern society, many psychosomatic problems are the result of various anxiety syndromes. It is now known that a strong link between mind and body exists, and that maladapted behaviour can be learned and maintained through neurological and physiological pathways. Brief strategic therapeutic interventions can initiate change within patients by rapidly modifying these behavioural and biological patterns.

Many patients that undergo therapy expect it to produce improvements within a short time frame, therefore the aim of Brief Strategic Therapy is to achieve a noticeable change in the patient's problem within a maximum time parameter of 1 to 3 therapy consultations.

In Brief Strategic Therapy, the therapist takes responsibility for working more pro-actively with the client in order to treat clinical and subjective conditions faster. BST also emphasizes precise observation, utilization of natural resources, and a change in the client’s belief structure to consider new perspectives and multiple viewpoints. By becoming aware of these new perspectives, clients will often undergo spontaneous and generative change.

Brief Strategic therapists are equipped with a variety of strategic therapeutic tools that are adaptable and not limited by rigid protocols. These therapeutic tools are tailored to each individual patients needs. The therapy also equips clients with ongoing successful strategies to cope with future life stress and anxiety. The therapy is goal directed and aims to create change within 1-3 sessions.

Brief Strategic Therapy may be used to treat a variety of problems including: anxiety states, fears/phobias, sleep disorders, panic disorders, low self-esteem, neurotic depressive illness, and creation of appropriate behaviour patterns.

For information on 'The Society of Brief Strategic Therapists', visit www.sbst.co.uk