What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is a goal-oriented and evidence-based therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of mental health conditions. It is often used to treat anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and eating disorders, among others.

The basic principle of CBT is that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and that changing one of these components can lead to changes in the others.  In CBT, clients work with a therapist to identify negative or unhelpful thoughts and beliefs and to learn how to replace them with more realistic and adaptive ones.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Session between therapist and client

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy also involves learning new coping skills and behavioral strategies to help manage and overcome problematic symptoms. The therapist and client work collaboratively to set goals and develop a treatment plan that is tailored to the client’s specific needs and concerns. This type of therapy can be delivered in individual or group settings and may involve homework assignments and other activities to help individuals practice and apply the skill they learn in therapy to their everyday lives.

CBT is a highly structured and goal-oriented therapy that helps clients to identify and change patterns of negative thinking and behavior that contribute to their mental health problems.


Want to learn more? Check out this article on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to see how they work!