Verywell Mind

 Mental Health A-Z

 Self-Improvement
 Psychology
 News
 About Us

More in Psychotherapy

 Online Therapy

 Practicing Empathy
 Remote Dating
 The News and Mental Health
 Coping With Joblessness

 Mental Health A-Z

o Addiction
o ADHD
o Bipolar Disorder
o Depression
o Race and Identity
o PTSD
o View All
 Self-Improvement
o Inspiration
o Stress Management
o Happiness
o Meditation
o Brain Health
o Relationships
o View All
 Psychology
o Theories
o History and Biographies
o Student Resources
o Therapy
o Emotions
o Sleep and Dreaming
o View All
 News
o Coronavirus
 o Mental Health
o View All

 About Us
 Editorial Process
 Privacy Policy
 Contact Us

Visit our other Verywell sites:

Verywell Health Verywell Fit Verywell Family

Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved

Psychotherapy

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

(CBT)?
By
Kendra Cherry
Reviewed by
Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS






Updated on June 13, 2020

Verywell / Daniel Fishel

Table of Contents

 Definition
 Types
 Uses
 Impact
 Strategies
 Potential Pitfalls
 History

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps people
learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative
influence on behavior and emotions.1

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing the automatic negative thoughts that can
contribute to and worsen emotional difficulties, depression, and anxiety. These spontaneous
negative thoughts have a detrimental influence on mood.

Through CBT, these thoughts are identified, challenged, and replaced with more objective,
realistic thoughts.
CBT is about more than identifying thought patterns; it is focused on using a wide range of
strategies to help people overcome these thoughts. Such strategies may include journaling, role-
playing, relaxation techniques, and mental distractions.2

Types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT encompasses a range of techniques and approaches that address thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors. These can range from structured psychotherapies to self-help materials. There are a
number of specific types of therapeutic approaches that involve CBT:

 Cognitive therapy centers on identifying and changing inaccurate or distorted thinking

patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors.3
 Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) addresses thoughts and behaviors while
incorporating strategies such as emotional regulation and mindfulness.
 Multimodal therapy suggests that psychological issues must be treated by addressing
seven different but interconnected modalities, which are behavior, affect, sensation,
imagery, cognition, interpersonal factors, and drug/biological considerations.4
 Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) involves identifying irrational beliefs,
actively challenging these beliefs, and finally learning to recognize and change these
thought patterns.

While each type of cognitive behavioral therapy takes a different approach, all work to address
the underlying thought patterns that contribute to psychological distress.

Uses
Cognitive-behavior therapy can be effectively used as a short-term treatment centered on helping
people with a very specific problem and teaching them to focus on present thoughts and beliefs.1
CBT is used to treat a wide range of conditions including:

 Addictions
 Anger issues
 Anxiety2
 Bipolar disorder
 Depression
 Eating disorders
 Panic attacks
 Personality disorders
 Phobias5
 Problems with stress

Cognitive behavioral therapy is highly goal-oriented and focused, with the therapist taking a very
active role. People work with their therapist toward mutually established goals. The process is
explained in detail and people are often given homework to complete between sessions.
Impact
The underlying concept behind CBT is that thoughts and feelings play a fundamental role in
behavior.1 For example, a person who spends a lot of time thinking about plane crashes, runway
accidents, and other air disasters may avoid air travel as a result.

The goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to teach people that while they cannot control every
aspect of the world around them, they can take control of how they interpret and deal with things
in their environment.

Cognitive behavior therapy has become increasingly popular in recent years with both mental
health consumers and treatment professionals. Some reasons for this include:

 By becoming aware of the negative and often unrealistic thoughts that dampen their
feelings and moods, people are able to start engaging in healthier thinking patterns.1
 CBT can be an effective short-term treatment option.
 It can help people with certain types of emotional distress that don't require psychotropic
medication.
 It is empirically supported and has been shown to effectively help patients overcome a
wide variety of maladaptive behaviors.1
 It is often more affordable than some other types of therapy.

One of the greatest benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it helps clients develop coping
skills that can be useful both now and in the future.1

CBT Strategies
People often experience thoughts or feelings that reinforce or compound faulty beliefs. Such
beliefs can result in problematic behaviors that can affect numerous life areas, including family,
romantic relationships, work, and academics.

Identify Negative Thoughts

It is important to learn how thoughts, feelings, and situations can contribute to maladaptive
behaviors.6 The process can be difficult, especially for people who struggle with introspection,
but it can ultimately lead to self-discovery and insights that are an essential part of the treatment
process.

Practice New Skills

It is important to start practicing new skills that can then be put in to use in real-world situations.
For example, a person with a substance use disorder might start practicing new coping skills and
rehearsing ways to avoid or deal with social situations that could potentially trigger a relapse.
Set Goals

Goal setting can an important step in recovery from mental illness and helping you make
changes to improve your health and life. During CBT, a therapist can help with goal-setting
skills by teaching you how to identify your goal, distinguish between short- and long-term goals,
set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) goals, and focus on the
process as much as the end outcome.

Problem Solve

Learning problem solving skills can help you identify and solve problems that arise from life
stressors, both big and small, and reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical
illness. Problem solving in CBT often involves five steps: identifying a problem, generating a list
of possible solutions, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each possible solution,
choosing a solution to implement, and implementing the solution.7

Self Monitor

Also known as diary work, self-monitoring is an important part of CBT that involves tracking
behaviors, symptoms, or experiences over time and sharing them with your therapist. Self-
monitoring can help provide your therapist with the information needed to provide the best
treatment. For example, for eating disorders, self-monitoring may involve keeping track of eating
habits as well as any thoughts or feelings that went along with consuming that meal or snack.8

Progress Gradually

In most cases, CBT is a gradual process that helps a person take incremental steps towards
a behavior change. For example, someone with social anxiety might start by simply imagining
anxiety-provoking social situations. Next, they might start practicing conversations with friends,
family, and acquaintances.

By progressively working toward a larger goal, the process seems less daunting and the goals
easier to achieve.

How Behavioral Therapy Is Used in Psychology

Potential Pitfalls
There are several challenges that people may run into during the course of cognitive behavioral
therapy.

Change Can Be Difficult

Initially, some patients suggest that while they recognize that certain thoughts are not rational or
healthy, simply becoming aware of these thoughts does not make it easy to alter them.
CBT Is Very Structured

Cognitive behavioral therapy doesn't tend to focus on underlying unconscious resistances to

change as much as other approaches such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy.9 It is often best-
suited for clients who are more comfortable with a structured and focused approach in which the
therapist often takes an instructional role.

People Must Be Willing to Change

For cognitive behavioral therapy to be effective, the individual must be ready and willing to
spend time and effort analyzing their thoughts and feelings. Such self-analysis and homework
can be difficult, but it is a great way to learn more about how internal states impact outward
behavior.

What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

History
CBT emerged during the 1960s and originated in the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck, who
noted that certain types of thinking contributed to emotional problems. Beck labeled these
"automatic negative thoughts" and developed the process of cognitive therapy. 

Where earlier behavior therapies had focused almost exclusively on associations, reinforcements,
and punishments to modify behavior, the cognitive approach addressed how thoughts and
feelings affect behaviors.

Since then, CBT has emerged as an effective first-line treatment for a wide range of disorders
and conditions.

CBT is one of the most researched types of therapy, in part because treatment is focused on
highly specific goals and results can be measured relatively easily.

A Word From Verywell

Cognitive-behavior therapy can be an effective treatment choice for a range of psychological
issues. If you feel that you might benefit from this form of therapy, consult with your physician
and check out the directory of certified therapists offered by the National Association of
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists to locate a professional in your area.

Was this page helpful?

Article Sources
Related Articles


 CBT Can Help With Depression—and Your Job Search

Fact checked by Emily Swaim

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Might Benefit Your Teen

Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD


 How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help Relieve Panic Disorder

Medically reviewed by Akeem Marsh, MD

How to Choose the Best Type of Therapy to Treat Your Depression

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD


 Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Treat Addiction?

Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for BPD

Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Adult ADHD

Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

Common Therapy Treatments for Panic Disorder

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD


 Struggling With Depression or Anxiety? CBT May Be a Great Option

Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW

How Behavioral Therapy Is Used in Psychology

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Addiction

Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

Is Psychodynamic Therapy an Effective Approach to Treatment?

Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

Guided or Not, Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy May Help With Depression

Fact checked by Rich Scherr

 

The 8 Best Mental Health Apps of 2021

Fact checked by Sean Blackburn

What's the Difference Between a Counselor and a Psychotherapist?

Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW

How Individual Therapy Works

By Lisa Fritscher

Verywell Mind
Daily Tips for a Healthy Mind to Your Inbox
Follow Us

 facebook
 pinterest
 instagram
 flipboard

 Mental Health A-Z

 Self-Improvement
  Psychology
 News
 The Verywell Mind Podcast

 Our Review Board

 About Us
 Editorial Process
 Anti-Racism Pledge
 Privacy Policy
 In the News
 Cookie Policy
 Advertise
 Terms of Use
 Careers
 California Privacy Notice
 Contact

Visit our other Verywell sites:

Verywell Health Verywell Fit Verywell Family

Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved

Verywell Mind is part of the Dotdash publishing family.