The CBT Space

The CBT Space BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, based in Exmouth, Devon

Many people spend far more time trying to avoid getting things wrong than they do actually living their lives. Progress ...
27/07/2026

Many people spend far more time trying to avoid getting things wrong than they do actually living their lives. Progress has never depended on perfection, and ordinary, repeatable habits will usually take you much further than impossible standards.

26/07/2026

Nobody does life perfectly. Most people are just doing their best and hoping nobody notices they’re winging it.

People spend an incredible amount of time feeling disappointed with themselves. Not because they're terrible people or b...
22/07/2026

People spend an incredible amount of time feeling disappointed with themselves. Not because they're terrible people or because life is falling apart. They just carry around this sense that they should be managing better than they are.

They tell themselves they should have more patience. They should be making healthier choices. They should be making use of everything they've learned. Then they have a difficult week and act surprised when they don't behave like the best version of themselves.

Which is odd, because nobody expects that from anybody else.

You wouldn't sit with a friend who's stressed, exhausted and eating cereal for dinner and tell them they really ought to have pulled themselves together. But people are remarkably willing to speak to themselves like that.

Life gets messy from time to time. People lose momentum. They forget things that help. They get stuck in old habits for a while. None of that is unusual.

Treating every imperfect week as evidence that you're doing life badly seems like a fairly miserable standard to live with.

I've recently been added to the ChatCBT therapist directory.ChatCBT is a new platform that brings together a directory o...
21/07/2026

I've recently been added to the ChatCBT therapist directory.

ChatCBT is a new platform that brings together a directory of CBT therapists alongside a range of free CBT self-help resources and interactive worksheets. If you're interested in learning more about CBT or looking for evidence-based self-help tools, it's worth having a look.

You can find my profile there too if you'd like to learn more about how I work: https://chatcbt.directory/sian-lison

Thanks to Chat CBT for including The CBT Space! Find out more: https://chatcbt.online

Self-awareness is helpful, but there comes a point where analysing yourself stops being useful. Sometimes the most helpf...
20/07/2026

Self-awareness is helpful, but there comes a point where analysing yourself stops being useful. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is step away from your thoughts and get back into your day.

19/07/2026

Not every thought needs investigating. Sometimes life moves on before your mind has finished writing the report.

Self-awareness is useful. Until you accidentally turn yourself into a full-time project.People can spend hours trying to...
15/07/2026

Self-awareness is useful. Until you accidentally turn yourself into a full-time project.

People can spend hours trying to work out why they're feeling a certain way, whether they're dealing with things properly, or what a particular thought means.
It's understandable. Nobody enjoys uncertainty. But after a while, all that thinking starts to create the impression that there's an answer hidden somewhere if you just keep looking.

Meanwhile, life is carrying on around you. The washing still needs doing. Emails still need replying to. And you're sat there wondering whether your anxiety means something important.

Which is slightly annoying when you realise some things settle down because you got some sleep or because Tuesday wasn't quite as stressful as Monday. Not everything needs investigating.

Understanding yourself is valuable, but awareness is only the beginning. Lasting change usually comes from practising so...
13/07/2026

Understanding yourself is valuable, but awareness is only the beginning. Lasting change usually comes from practising something different, even when it still feels unfamiliar.

11/07/2026

Familiar patterns can stick around for a long time. The interesting bit is what happens once you notice them.

This one frustrates people. They know what helps. They know they need to stop checking, stop overthinking, get outside, ...
08/07/2026

This one frustrates people. They know what helps. They know they need to stop checking, stop overthinking, get outside, stop reading things on Google at midnight. None of this is new information.

And yet they still struggle to do it. Which makes them wonder if they've somehow missed the point.

They haven't.

Knowing something has never made it easy. If it did, we'd all floss twice a day and nobody would spend an hour scrolling on their phone while complaining about being tired. Most change involves repeating something that doesn't feel natural yet. That's the awkward bit. The information is usually the easy part.

So if you've ever thought, "I know all this already," you're probably right.

Knowing and doing have always had a slightly complicated relationship.

Address

The Studio, Little Bicton Place
Exmouth
EX82SS

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 5:30pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The CBT Space posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category