Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a structured talking therapy. It teaches you to notice unhelpful patterns of thought and behaviour, test them, and replace them with ones that work better.
It has strong evidence for anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, insomnia and several other problems. It demands practice between sessions, and it is less suited to people who mainly want open-ended exploration of their past.
What Cognitive Behavioural Therapy involves
The first one or two sessions are assessment: your difficulties, their history, your goals and questionnaires to measure severity. You and the therapist then draw a shared map (formulation) of how thoughts, feelings, body sensations and behaviour keep the problem going. Each later session has an agenda: review the week's practice, learn one skill, and set new tasks. Skills include thought records, behavioural experiments, graded exposure to feared situations, activity scheduling for low mood and, for insomnia, sleep restriction. Sessions last about 50 minutes. The final sessions build a relapse prevention plan.
Who is a good candidate for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
It suits people with a defined problem who are willing to practise skills between sessions.
- Adults or adolescents with anxiety, panic, phobias or health anxiety
- Mild to moderate depression
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (with exposure and response prevention)
- Chronic insomnia
- People who prefer a practical, time-limited approach
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Anyone in acute crisis or with active suicidal intent, who needs urgent local care
- Untreated psychosis or mania
- People who cannot work in a language they share fluently with the therapist
- Those with severe substance dependence that has not yet been stabilised
Technique options
- Standard individual CBT: Weekly sessions for depression and anxiety disorders.
- Exposure and response prevention: The core method for OCD and phobias.
- CBT for insomnia (CBT-I): A 4 to 8 session programme, recommended before sleeping pills.
- Trauma-focused CBT: For post-traumatic stress disorder, delivered by specifically trained therapists.
- Online or video CBT: Comparable results for many conditions and the practical route for international clients.
What happens during your treatment
Each session is a conversation lasting 45 to 60 minutes. There are no medicines or devices. Exposure work can raise anxiety on purpose for a short time; this is planned, agreed in advance, and falls as you repeat it.
Preparing for your trip
CBT is weekly for 8 to 20 weeks, so it does not fit a single trip. The practical pattern is an in-person or video assessment, then weekly video sessions from home. Short intensive formats of daily sessions over 1 to 2 weeks exist for OCD and phobias.
- Tell the doctor about medication, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any history of cold sores, keloid scars or autoimmune disease
- Avoid alcohol, aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers for a few days beforehand if your own doctor agrees, to reduce bruising
- Arrive without make-up on the treatment area and avoid sunbeds and strong sun for two weeks before
Recovery and results
There is no physical recovery. Many people notice change after 4 to 6 sessions, and a typical course runs 8 to 20 sessions. Gains tend to hold after therapy ends because you keep the skills, but booster sessions help during stressful periods.
- Back to everyday activity: None
- When results show: Often after 4 to 6 sessions
- How long they last: Lasting in many people; boosters sometimes needed
Safety, risks and revision policy
CBT is safe, though not free of downsides.
- Temporary rise in anxiety or distress during exposure work
- Strong emotions when discussing painful events
- No improvement in a minority, in which case another therapy or medication is considered
- Dropping out early, which is the commonest reason it fails
- Poor results when therapist and client do not share a fluent language
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Number of sessions
- Therapist's qualification and experience
- In-person versus video sessions
- Whether psychiatric review or medication is also needed
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth travelling for CBT?
Not for the therapy alone. Weekly sessions over months suit video delivery or a therapist near you. An in-person assessment can be combined with another visit.
CBT or medication?
For many anxiety and depressive disorders they work about equally well, and the combination can be better in more severe illness. A psychiatrist can advise.
What if English is not my first language?
Therapy works best in the language you think and feel in. Ask for a therapist fluent in it.