Opening your mind to the idea that you can change your thoughts is where you begin.
Learning to find subconscious thoughts.
Subconscious thoughts are those thoughts we are not aware of, we can have tens of thousands of these each day. If some are negative and are shaping your thinking and therefore your life, they need to be found. Usually the first 50 minute session sets you up to put the CBT methods for doing this into practice for the next week. like anything, the more you practice the better you get. You keep a record of your attempts to find any Negative Thoughts (sub conscious or conscious). By monitoring your efforts over time you can actually see progress. You bring your findings to the sessions and together we work forwards from there, all at your own pace.
Relaxation.
Everyone is better for relaxing. A very simple regular practice, for a few minutes each day teaches you that it is beneficial to your well-being.
Mindfulness Based Meditation.
This not only helps you relax but “Mindfulness” for the purposes of CBT, helps you to root out negative thoughts, it teaches you a mind control skill and a focusing ability that stays with you after therapy is over. Meditation allows your immune system to function more efficiently, beginning the natural process of self healing. It's one of the most beneficial skills you take away with you.
Guided Imagery Stress Inoculation therapy.
An amazing practice that takes only a few minutes before you embark on your experiments to challenge your negative thoughts. It is in effect a mental practice, a "run through" of a challenging situation that “inoculates” and prepares you for the real thing. Especially good if you have a phobia, or irrational fear of something.
Affirmations
Positive phrases that strengthen you. (Sometimes underrated but very powerful.) Affirmations help to strengthen your new healthy way of thinking. It may feel a bit silly or uncomfortable at first but saying Positive Affirmations out loud really works at a deep level to help kick out old negative thinking. It has been scientifically proven that repetition of affirmations improves brain function for the better. For example the fear centre of the brain decreases in size and the "relaxing" part of the brain increases.
Emotional Freedom therapy.
An amazing new therapy. In brief it utilises the “Energy Pathways" or "Meridians of Acupuncture," (now proven by science to exist,) by tapping them, (no needles required.) It revitalises your energy and helps cement affirmations as new habits of thinking and displacing the old habits of negative thinking. Again it’s a practice that takes a few minutes.
Keeping a journal
It's up to you how big this is, a notebook will do as will a huge leather bound tome! It will be your own unique record of treatment from day one. After 4 or so sessions I often ask folk to go back to page one and see how they were on day one to realise just how far they have come. In between sessions its there for you to make notes and write down any questions, thoughts you may have. Jot them down or you will probably forget them.
Non of the above are complex ideas and are simple to learn. I will take you through them at your pace and teach you all you need to know. You just provide the commitment.