Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) explores the relationship between our thoughts (cognition), our emotions, behaviours and physical responses. Through the therapeutic process, clients are supported in identifying patterns such as automatic thoughts, core beliefs, and underlying assumptions that may contribute to emotional distress or behaviours that no longer serve them. By developing awareness of these patterns and learning to approach them differently, clients can create meaningful and sustainable changes in their lives.
What I find particularly valuable about integrating Sophrology within a CBT framework is the way it brings attention back to the body. Many clients arrive in therapy with a good understanding of their difficulties on a cognitive level, but they may have less awareness of how these patterns are experienced physically and emotionally.
Through Sophrology practices, clients develop more self-awareness and can begin to recognise sensations in the body, emotional shifts and physical responses as they arise. These experiences often provide valuable information within the CBT process, helping clients identify patterns that may previously have remained automatic or outside of their awareness.
My journey towards an integrative practice
My journey towards integrating Sophrology and psychotherapy began during my second year of Sophrology training, when I enrolled in a counselling course to deepen my understanding of mental health and therapeutic practice.
Furthermore, through my own research into Alfonso Caycedo’s studies, I became fascinated by the importance of changing states of consciousness to develop greater awareness and connection with oneself. I began to see how this approach could complement psychological therapies by creating another pathway into self-awareness and personal change.
This understanding was also deeply connected to my own personal experience of anxiety, depression and recovery from an eating disorder. Sophrology helped me reconnect with my body and develop greater emotional regulation, while my own therapy allowed me to explore my thoughts, beliefs and behavioural patterns from another perspective.
These experiences shaped my passion for integrating both approaches: combining the person-centred foundation of counselling and psychotherapy with the practical, embodied tools offered by Sophrology and CBT.
Although many psychological patterns can be recognised across different experiences, every person’s journey remains unique. This integration allows me to adapt the therapeutic process to each individual, bringing together reflection, understanding, and practical tools that are meaningful to their needs and goals.
Sophrology Within Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
During my CBT training, I became increasingly aware of how naturally Sophrology complements cognitive approaches. CBT supports clients in understanding and changing patterns of thinking and behaviour. However, cognitive insight alone does not always create lasting change. Clients may understand their difficulties intellectually while still feeling connected to old emotional and physical responses or completely disconnected from them.
Sophrology adds an embodied dimension by helping clients develop greater awareness of patterns and signs as they arise, creating valuable information to explore within the CBT process. But it also allows for better embodiment and integration of new, healthier patterns, behaviours and ways of thinking.
This integration shares similarities with third-wave CBT approaches, which incorporate practices such as mindfulness, acceptance and commitment, compassion-focused work and progressive muscle relaxation. However, through my training in Sophrology, I have found that it offers a particularly well-structured framework that brings together breathing, movement, body awareness, and visualisation within a coherent methodology.
This structure makes it a practical approach to integrate within my CBT practice, while still allowing flexibility to adapt the work to each individual client.
Starting with the body creates safety for deepening the therapeutic process.
Rather than immediately analysing difficulties, clients first learn to notice their physical and emotional experiences with curiosity and without judgement. Sophrology creates a foundation of safety and regulation before exploring more challenging experiences. This initial phase can also strengthen the therapeutic alliance. By combining the core conditions of counselling—empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard—with the Dynamic Relaxation exercises in Sophrology, the therapist creates a compassionate and non-judgemental space where clients feel seen, heard and validated.
Feeling safe enough to be vulnerable is an essential part of deeper therapeutic exploration. In my clinical experience, when clients feel more grounded and physiologically regulated, they often become more able to access emotions, reflect on their experiences and engage fully in the therapeutic process. They can think more clearly, remain present during difficult conversations, and explore challenges from a place of greater stability, which can allow for deeper work, even within a limited number of sessions.
Case Study: Integrating Sophrology Within CBT for Depression
A client experiencing persistent low mood, reduced motivation, and low self-esteem struggled to reconnect with positive emotions and imagine a more hopeful future. They also experienced patterns of rumination, often becoming caught in past experiences and self-critical thoughts.
Within a CBT framework, working with depression often begins with behavioural activation rather than directly challenging thoughts. When someone is experiencing depression, energy, motivation and pleasure can significantly reduce, making small and achievable changes an important part of the therapeutic process.
After screening and assessment, the first step of the treatment plan was to explore activity planning and identify manageable steps to help the client reconnect with moments of meaning, connection, and accomplishment.
Sophrology was integrated into the treatment plan through Dynamic Relaxation Level 1 (DR1) and Level 4 (DR4). DR1 was particularly valuable in helping the client reconnect with their body, physical sensations and present-moment awareness in daily tasks. During depression, people can often become disconnected from their body and from the small experiences happening around them. Through sensory awareness and grounding practices, the client began noticing moments that had previously been overlooked. DR4 was used to explore values, positive experiences and future possibilities. Through visualisation, the client was able to reconnect with aspects of themselves and their life that had become harder to access during periods of low mood.
An important part of the Sophrology process was phenomenological exploration. After exercises and activities, the client was invited to describe their own experience: what they noticed physically, emotionally and mentally, and how their perception of the situation may have changed. Sophrology practices were also incorporated into activity planning, creating intentional opportunities for grounding, self-care and meaningful experiences throughout the week, as these can be neglected and need to be consciously reintegrated.
Within therapy sessions, this experiential work was combined with cognitive exploration. Together, we explored patterns of rumination, self-critical thoughts, underlying assumptions and core beliefs contributing to low self-esteem and emotional distress. The client’s experiences were validated within a safe therapeutic relationship, while CBT techniques supported the development of alternative perspectives and behavioural changes.
It is important to acknowledge that this client was also receiving medical support through prescribed medication, alongside regular reviews with their psychiatrist and GP. A multidisciplinary approach was essential, with psychological therapy, medical support and mind-body practices working together to support their wellbeing.
Over the course of the work, the client noticed real changes in himself. He was able to reconnect with qualities, strengths, and competencies that had become difficult to see during his depression, and we explored how these could be applied to new projects and possibilities in both his personal life and work. He developed greater confidence in moving forward and a stronger sense of resilience. There is still work he would like to continue, but he has developed a better understanding of why he felt the way he did, alongside a renewed sense of hope for his life and the future.
Conclusion
Sophrology and psychotherapy are naturally complementary approaches. Through experience and continued practice, I have seen how integrating embodied awareness with cognitive and behavioural approaches can create a more personalised and meaningful therapeutic process.
CBT provides valuable tools for understanding and changing patterns of thinking and behaviour, while Sophrology offers a pathway to reconnect with the body, develop awareness and change in a more embodied way. Together, they create an approach that respects each person’s individuality while supporting greater self-awareness, emotional regulation and meaningful, sustainable change.
Cybele Haim
Sophrology practitioner – Psychotherapist – Shamanic practitioner
Website: www.chamapola.com
Email: cybele@chamapola.com