Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Home

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that focuses on changing thought patterns and learned behaviors in order to relieve symptoms of mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. In CBT, clinicians and patients work together to identify the thoughts and actions that are harming the patient, seek out the source(s), and dismantle them. This process can not only alleviate some of the patient's suffering, but it can also provide the patient with a sense of self-sufficiency, as they have taken control over their suffering.

What is the history of CBT?

CBT was developed in the 1960s by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. Beck recognized a pattern among many patients suffering from various problems in which they developed strong internal dialogues that seemed to be beyond the patients' control, which Beck termed "automatic thoughts." These automatic thoughts ruled patients' emotions and impacted their behavior. According to The Beck Institute, Beck understood that patients' perceptions of situations were more likely to control their reactions than the facts of the situation. Beck initially called CBT "cognitive therapy," as it focused primarily on breaking patients' negative thought patterns.

How does CBT work?

As its name suggests, CBT directly addresses both ways of thinking and ways of acting. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), patients engaged with CBT may challenge their thought patterns by:

• Learning to recognize the distortions of their thinking that are creating problems, and then reevaluating them in light of reality
• Gaining a better understanding of the behaviors and motivations of others
• Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations 
• Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in their own abilities

In addition to adjusting their ways of thinking, CBT patients may be asked to reconsider or change their behaviors in any of the following ways:

• Facing their fears, rather than avoiding them
• Using role playing to prepare for potentially problematic interactions with others
• Learning to calm their mind and relax their body

While these are not comprehensive lists of the tactics that CBT practitioners may use with their patients, most elements of CBT fit into one or more of these categories. The actual course of treatment depends on both the clinician and the patient. Using mindfulness techniques and drawing awareness to the real problems that the patient is facing are key elements of CBT.

This infographic from The Beck Institute illustrates the CBT model of patient reaction. As you can see, the automatic thoughts are between the situation and the reaction, meaning that the reaction (including emotion, behavior, and physiological response) is informed by the automatic thoughts, rather than the actual situation.