What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is therapy which focuses on changing maladaptive thoughts in order to bring about changes in clients’ behaviors and feelings. While most people attribute their behaviors and feelings to life’s circumstances, cognitive behavioral therapy demonstrates that it is the way in which people think about their circumstances that causes them to feel and behave in a specific way.
When people have irrational thoughts about life circumstances, they cause themselves to experience uncomfortable emotions and/or to engage in problematic behaviors.
Therefore, CBT can help clients change the way in which they think so that they can feel better and act differently without actually changing their situation.

How is CBT different than other forms of therapy? CBT is generally short term, goal oriented, and present-focused. Therapists and clients are actively involved in addressing clients’ concerns and helping clients achieve their goals. In addition, CBT is shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of problems in hundreds of research studies.