Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Lahore
Evidence-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Lahore for depression, anxiety, OCD, and a wide range of other conditions.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most extensively researched form of psychotherapy, based on the principle that thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected, and that changing unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns can meaningfully improve emotional wellbeing.
Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Zafar provides CBT for adults, adolescents, and children across a wide range of conditions, available both in-person in Lahore and via secure online video sessions.
What Is CBT?
CBT is a structured, time-limited therapy that helps identify specific unhelpful patterns of thinking (cognitive distortions) and behaviour (such as avoidance) that maintain distress, and systematically works to change them through practical, skills-based techniques.
Conditions Treated
- Depression
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, and specific phobias
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (via a specialised form called ERP)
- Insomnia (via CBT-I)
- Health anxiety and somatic symptom concerns
- PTSD (via Trauma-Focused CBT)
What a Session Involves
Sessions are collaborative and structured, typically beginning with a review of progress since the last session, working through a specific agenda item, and ending with an agreed 'homework' task to practise skills before the next session.
Research Supporting CBT
CBT has been studied in hundreds of randomised controlled trials and is recommended as a first-line treatment by the American Psychiatric Association, the UK's NICE guidelines, and the World Health Organization for depression and most anxiety disorders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a course of CBT last?
Most structured CBT courses for a specific condition run between 12 and 20 sessions, though this varies based on the complexity of the presentation.
Is CBT suitable for children?
Yes, CBT can be adapted using age-appropriate language, play, and activities for children, and more traditional talk-based CBT for older children and teenagers.
Does CBT involve homework?
Yes, practising skills between sessions is a core part of CBT and significantly contributes to its effectiveness.
Expert Care
Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Zafar provides structured, evidence-based CBT tailored to each patient's specific condition and goals.
This page is provided for general educational purposes and does not replace an individual psychiatric assessment.
Treatment approach
- → Structured, goal-oriented sessions
- → Identifying and restructuring unhelpful thoughts
- → Behavioural experiments and gradual exposure
- → Homework-based skills practice between sessions
- → Typically 12-20 sessions for a defined problem
Frequently asked questions
How long does a course of CBT last?
Most structured CBT courses for a specific condition run between 12 and 20 sessions, though this varies based on the complexity of the presentation.
Is CBT suitable for children?
Yes, CBT can be adapted using age-appropriate language, play, and activities for children, and more traditional talk-based CBT for older children and teenagers.
Does CBT involve homework?
Yes, practising skills between sessions is a core part of CBT and significantly contributes to its effectiveness.