What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a well-established, highly researched, evidenced based therapeutic approach that helps to address a wide range of mental health symptoms and diagnoses. CBT focuses on the connection between our thoughts, behaviors, and emotions to help develop healthier, more helpful ways of thinking and behaving.
Generally CBT is short-term and goal-oriented therapy with a focus on the present. Unlike some other therapies that may look into childhood or past experiences, this is not a main focus of CBT. While past experiences may come up and can be helpful, CBT is a more present focused approach to therapy. CBT is a highly effective approach as it offers tangible, practical skills and is problem-solving in nature.
How Does CBT Work?
CBT is a very collaborative process, meaning that you and your therapy will work together to identify and address specific goals and concerns. The treatment plan may include:
Identifying Unhelpful Thought Patterns: Many of us have automatic, often negative or unhelpful thoughts that influence how we see the world and ourselves. CBT helps you recognize these thoughts, how they show up in your life, and understand how they may be contributing to distressing emotions or unhelpful behaviors.
Challenging and Reframing Thoughts: Once unhelpful patterns are identified, the next step is to challenge them. Are these thoughts accurate? Are they exaggerated? Through techniques like cognitive restructuring, CBT helps you reframe, or widen your perspective of distorted thinking into more realistic and balanced perspectives.
Behavioral Change: After addressing thoughts, CBT helps you change the behaviors that result from those thoughts. Remember, each side of the triangle influences the other. For example, if you feel anxious and avoid social situations as a result, CBT would help you gradually confront the thought patterns contributing to this avoidance and then build a structured plan to gradually confront social situations to build a more neutral or positive emotion and experience.
Building Coping Strategies: CBT provides you with practical tools and strategies to cope with difficult emotions and situations in the future. Whether it’s relaxation techniques, mindfulness, or problem-solving methods, you’ll leave with a toolkit for managing challenges as they arise. Within the therapeutic process, you’ll begin to rebuild brain pathways that may help these changes become more automatic or natural.
Identifying Core Beliefs: In some CBT work, it may be helpful to identify central themes or patterns that contribute to unhelpful thinking patterns. These underlying patterns and themes can be referred to as core beliefs. By using cognitive reframing and other coping skills, the process will aid in developing more neutral or positive core beliefs about yourself, others, and the world around you. Again, the goal being to illicit healthier, happier ways of thinking.
Key Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Effective for a Range of Issues
CBT is widely regarded as one of the most effective therapies for treating various mental health conditions, including:
Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Depression
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Eating Disorders
Insomnia
Substance Abuse
Relationship Issues
Stress Management
Chronic Pain
And many more
Adaptability
One of the biggest advantages of CBT is that it can be applied in a variety of settings and treatment lengths. Traditional CBT tends to be short-term, typically lasting anywhere from 5 to 20 sessions. This makes it a great option if you're looking for effective, focused treatment. The structure and goal-oriented nature of CBT help you see progress relatively quickly, which can be incredibly motivating and empowering. CBT can also be woven into longer-term therapies to help with symptoms stabilization and practical coping skills while doing deeper work.
Practical, Actionable Tools
CBT isn’t just about talking through your issues—it's about doing something about them. You’ll learn practical skills that you can apply in your everyday life, which helps you feel more in control. Whether it’s using relaxation exercises to reduce stress or challenging your negative self-talk, CBT teaches you how to handle life's ups and downs in a constructive way. CBT works best when you practice skills outside of session and interweave into your everyday life.
Empowers You for Independence
One of the most powerful aspects of CBT is that it gives you the tools to manage your thoughts and behaviors outside of therapy. You’ll often be asked to complete homework assignments—such as keeping a thought journal or practicing certain techniques—which helps you reinforce what you’ve learned in sessions and apply it to real-life situations. This builds the confidence that you are able to take these skills and apply them on your own and after the therapy process comes to a close.
Long-Lasting Results
Because CBT highly focuses on teaching you skills to change thought and behavior patterns, the changes you make in therapy are often long-lasting. Many clients report that the skills they learn in CBT continue to help them navigate life’s challenges long after therapy ends. In fact, some people experience a reduction in symptoms that persists for months or even years after their treatment.
Who Can Benefit from CBT?
CBT can be helpful for just about anyone, but it is especially effective for people who are:
Motivated to make changes in their thought patterns and behaviors.
Willing to actively engage in the therapeutic process, including doing “homework” between sessions.
Looking for a practical, structured approach to managing emotions or mental health challenges.
That said, if you have significant trauma, complex mental health needs, or are looking for deep insight into the roots of your issues, CBT can be a great complementary therapy alongside other modalities like psychodynamic therapy or trauma-focused therapy.
Is CBT Right for You?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers a practical and highly effective approach to overcoming a variety of mental health challenges. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, or just want to feel more in control of your emotions, CBT can provide you with the tools to create lasting change.
If you’re looking for a therapy that’s focused on action, rooted in research, and offers real-world tools, CBT could be a great fit for you. Remember, the first step in your mental health journey is reaching out for help—and CBT could be just the solution you need to start feeling better.
If you’d like to learn more about CBT or schedule an appointment, feel free to reach out. We're here to support you!