Cognitive behavioral theory examples

What Is It and Who Can It Help?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that helps you recognize negative or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.

CBT aims to help you identify and explore the ways your emotions and thoughts can affect your actions. Once you notice these patterns, you can begin learning how to change your behaviors and develop new coping strategies.

CBT addresses the here and now, and focuses less on the past. For some conditions in some people, other forms of psychotherapy are equally or even more effective. The key is that there is no one size that fits all.

Read on to learn more about CBT, including:

core concepts
what it can help treat
what to expect during a session

CBT is largely based on the idea that your thoughts, emotions, and actions are connected. In other words, the way you think and feel about something can affect what you do.

If you’re under a lot of stress at work, for example, you might see situations differently and make choices you wouldn’t ordinarily make. But another key concept of CBT is that these thought and behavior patterns can be changed.

According to the American Psychological Association, the core concepts of CBT include:

psychological issues are partly based on unhelpful ways of thinking
psychological issues are partly based on learned patterns of behavior
those living with these issues can improve with better coping mechanisms and management to help relieve their symptoms

The cycle of thoughts and behaviors
Here’s a closer look at how thoughts and emotions can influence behavior — in a positive or negative way:
Inaccurate or negative perceptions or thoughts contribute to emotional distress and mental health concerns.
These thoughts and the resulting distress sometimes lead to unhelpful or harmful behaviors.
Eventually, these thoughts and resulting behaviors can become a pattern that repeats itself.
Learning how to address and change these patterns can help you deal with problems as they arise, which can help reduce future distress.

So how does one go about reworking these patterns? CBT involves the use of many varied techniques. Your therapist will work with you to find the ones that work best for you.

Typical treatment often involves the following:

recognizing how inaccurate thinking can worsen problems
learning new problem-solving skills
gaining confidence and a better understanding and appreciation of your self-worth
learning how to face fears and challenges
using role play and calming techniques when faced with potentially challenging situations

The goal of these techniques is to replace unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts with more encouraging and realistic ones.

For example, “I’ll never have a lasting relationship” might become, “None of my previous relationships have lasted very long. Reconsidering what I really need from a partner could help me find someone I’ll be compatible with long term.”

These are some of the most popular techniques used in CBT:

SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited.
Guided discovery and questioning. By questioning the assumptions you have about yourself or your current situation, your therapist can help you learn to challenge these thoughts and consider different viewpoints.
Journaling. You might be asked to jot down negative beliefs that come up during the week and the positive ones you can replace them with.
Self-talk. Your therapist may ask what you tell yourself about a certain situation or experience and challenge you to replace negative or critical self-talk with compassionate, constructive self-talk.
Cognitive restructuring. This involves looking at any cognitive distortions affecting your thoughts — such as black-and-white thinking, jumping to conclusions, or catastrophizing — and beginning to unravel them.
Thought recording. In this technique, you’ll record thoughts and feelings experienced during a specific situation, then come up with unbiased evidence supporting your negative belief and evidence against it. You’ll use this evidence to develop a more realistic thought.
Positive activities. Scheduling a rewarding activity each day can help increase overall positivity and improve your mood. Some examples might be buying yourself fresh flowers or fruit, watching your favorite movie, or taking a picnic lunch to the park.
Situation exposure. This involves listing situations or things that cause distress, in order of the level of distress they cause, and slowly exposing yourself to these things until they lead to fewer negative feelings. Systematic desensitization is a similar technique where you’ll learn relaxation techniques to help you cope with your feelings in a difficult situation.

Homework is another important part of CBT, regardless of the techniques you use. Just as school assignments helped you practice and develop the skills you learned in class, therapy assignments can help you become more familiar with the skills you’re developing.

This might involve more practice with skills you learn in therapy, such as replacing self-criticizing thoughts with self-compassionate ones or keeping track of unhelpful thoughts in a journal.

CBT can help with a range of things, including the following mental health conditions:

depression
eating disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and phobia
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
schizophrenia
bipolar disorder
substance misuse

But you don’t need to have a specific mental health condition to benefit from CBT. It can also help with:

relationship difficulties
breakup or divorce
a serious health diagnosis, such as cancer
grief or loss
chronic pain
low self-esteem
insomnia
general life stress

CBT is one of the most studied therapy approaches. In fact, many experts consider it to be the best treatment available for a number of mental health conditions.

Here’s some research behind it:

A 2018 review of 41 studies looking at CBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD found evidence to suggest that it could help improve symptoms in all of these situations. The approach was most effective for OCD, anxiety, and stress.
A 2018 study looking at CBT for anxiety in young people found that the approach appeared to have good long-term results. More than half of the participants in the study no longer met criteria for anxiety at follow-up, which took place 2 or more years after they completed therapy.
Research published in 2011 suggests that CBT can not only help treat depression, but it may also help reduce the chances of relapse after treatment. Additionally, it may help improve symptoms of bipolar disorder when paired with medication, but more research is needed to help support this finding.
One 2017 study looking at 43 people with OCD found evidence to suggest brain function appeared to improve after CBT, particularly with regard to resisting compulsions.
A 2018 study looking at 104 people found evidence to suggest CBT can also help improve cognitive function for people with major depression and PTSD.
Research from 2010 shows that CBT can also be an effective tool when dealing with substance misuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, CBT can also be used to help people cope with addiction and avoid relapse after treatment.
Newer research from 2020 and 2021 even shows that both virtual and internet-based CBT hold promise for effective treatment. More research is needed to see how to best treat people virtually and if blended techniques could also be beneficial.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is often considered the gold standard of psychotherapy — but it’s certainly not the only approach. Read on to discover the different types of therapy and which one may work best for your needs.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is often a longer-term approach to mental health treatment compared with CBT.

Psychodynamic therapy was developed from psychoanalysis, where you are encouraged to talk about anything on your mind to uncover patterns in thoughts or behavior. In psychodynamic therapy, you’ll examine your emotions, relationships, and thought patterns to explore the connection between your unconscious mind and your actions.

This form of therapy can be useful for addressing a variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorder.

Behavioral therapy

According to behavioral theory, certain behaviors that might affect your life negatively develop from things you learned in your past. In behavioral therapy, instead of focusing on unconscious reasons for your behaviors, your therapist will help you identify ways to change behavioral reactions and patterns that cause distress.

Behavioral therapy is often focused on current issues and how to change them. People most commonly seek this form of therapy to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and anger issues.

Humanistic therapy

Humanistic therapy is based on the idea that your unique worldview impacts your choices and actions. In this therapeutic approach, you’ll work with a therapist to better understand your worldview and develop true self-acceptance.

Humanistic therapy tends to focus more on your day-to-day life than other types of therapy. Humanistic therapists work from the idea that you are the expert in your difficulties, and they will let you guide the direction of your sessions, trusting that you know what you need to talk about. Instead of treating a specific diagnosis, this form of therapy is often used to help you develop as a whole.

It’s important to note that this comparison of therapeutic approaches, subtypes, and issues that each type of therapy is useful for addressing is not exhaustive. Each therapist will take their own approach when working with clients, and the type of therapy that works best for you will depend on a number of factors.

There are various forms of therapy that fit under the CBT umbrella. You’ll work with your therapist to find which type of therapy works best for you and your goals.

These subtypes include:

Exposure therapy. This type of therapy involves slowly introduces anxiety-inducing activities/situations into your life for measured periods of time (one to two hours up to three times a day, for example). This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with phobias or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT incorporates things like mindfulness and emotional regulation through talk therapy in an individual or group setting. This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with borderline personality disorder (BPD), eating disorders, or depression.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT is therapy that involves learning to accept negative or unwanted thoughts. This subtype may be particularly effective for people who deal with intrusive thoughts or catastrophic thinking.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). MBCT uses mindfulness techniques and meditation along with cognitive therapy. This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). REBT is the original form of CBT and focuses on negative thought patterns and how they influence issues with emotions or behaviors. This subtype can be particularly effective for anything from anxiety to depression, sleep issues to addictive behaviors and more.

CBT can be used for a wide variety of mental health issues — as mentioned above — and including schizophrenia, insomnia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. Some people even turn to CBT for help coping with chronic health issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. That said, some sources say CBT may not be for people who have brain diseases, brain injuries, or other issues that impact thinking.

Whereas other types of therapy may look at how previous events have affected your current state of mind, CBT tends to focus much more on current issues and moving forward. CBT also focuses exclusively on the individual versus any family problems or other situations that may impact a person’s life.

Perhaps most important of all, CBT is for people who want to take a very active role in their own healing process. While the therapist helps to break down different thoughts and feelings in therapy sessions, each session likely involves getting some type of homework intended to apply different learned coping skills in everyday life.

There are benefits to engaging in any type of therapy — not just for yourself, but also for your family members, partner, or other people in your life.

Benefits and pros specifically related to CBT:

The overall course of therapy is short. The duration of therapy tends to be shorter than in other types — typically five to 20 sessions in all.
As a result, CBT may be more affordable than other options that take place over a longer period of time. It may also be more affordable if you get it in a group setting.
CBT reaps long-term results. Research on depression shows that people who have had CBT are less likely to relapse than people who took antidepressant medications with no therapy.
Sessions are flexible and offered in various formats. For example, you can go to in-person sessions that are either individual or group. Some people even get CBT online or via phone.
Skills learned in therapy can be applied directly to everyday life. The goal of CBT is to give tools to the person receiving therapy. These tools help them take control of their issues during the course of therapy and beyond.
Playing an active role in healing may be empowering to people who get CBT. With time, the goal for people in therapy is to overcome issues on their own using the tools they picked up in their sessions.
CBT be used with or without medication. Some people may only need CBT while others may find it a useful complement to medications they are taking.

Beginning therapy can seem overwhelming. It’s OK to feel nervous about your first session. You might wonder what the therapist will ask. You may even feel anxious about sharing your difficulties with a stranger.

CBT sessions tend to be very structured, but your first appointment may look a bit different.

Here’s a high-level look at what to expect during that first visit:

Your therapist will ask about symptoms, emotions, and feelings you experience. Emotional distress often manifests physically, too. Symptoms such as headaches, body aches, or stomach upset may be relevant, so it’s a good idea to mention them.
They’ll also ask about the specific difficulties you’re experiencing. Feel free to share anything that comes to mind, even if it doesn’t bother you too much. Therapy can help you deal with any challenges you experience, large or small.
You’ll go over general therapy policies, such as confidentiality, and talk about therapy costs, session length, and the number of sessions your therapist recommends.
You’ll talk about your goals for therapy, or what you want from treatment.

Feel free to ask any questions you have as they come up. You might consider asking:

about trying medication along with therapy, if you’re interested in combining the two
how your therapist can help if you’re having thoughts of suicide or find yourself in a crisis
if your therapist has experience helping others with similar concerns
how you’ll know therapy is helping
what will happen in the other sessions

In general, seeing a therapist you can communicate and work well with will help you get the most out of your therapy sessions. If something doesn’t feel right about one therapist, it’s perfectly OK to see someone else. Not every therapist will be a good fit for you or your situation.

CBT can be helpful. But if you decide to try it, there are a few things to keep in mind.

It’s not a cure

Therapy can help improve concerns you’re experiencing, but it will not necessarily eliminate them. Mental health issues and emotional distress could persist, even after therapy ends.

The goal of CBT is to help you develop the skills to deal with difficulties on your own in the moment when they come up. Some people view the approach as training to provide their own therapy.

Results take time

CBT can last for weeks or months, usually with one session each week. In your first few sessions, you and your therapist will likely talk about how long therapy might last.

That being said, it’ll take some time before you see results. If you don’t feel better after a few sessions, you might worry therapy isn’t working, but give it time. Keep doing your homework and practicing your skills between sessions.

Undoing deep-set patterns is major work, so go easy on yourself.

It can be challenging

Therapy can challenge you emotionally. It often helps you get better over time, but the process can be difficult. You’ll need to talk about things that might be painful or distressing. Don’t worry if you cry during a session — it can be a typical experience during therapy.

It’s just one of many options

While CBT can be helpful for many people, it does not work for everyone. If you don’t see any results after a few sessions, do not feel discouraged. Check in with your therapist.

A good therapist can help you recognize when one approach is not working. They can usually recommend other approaches that might help more.

How to find a therapist
Finding a therapist can feel daunting, but it does not have to be. Start by asking yourself a few basic questions:
What issues do you want to address? These can be specific or vague.
Are there any specific traits you’d like in a therapist? For example, are you more comfortable with someone who shares your gender?
How much can you realistically afford to spend per session? Do you want someone who offers sliding-scale prices or payment plans?
Where will therapy fit into your schedule? Do you need a therapist who can see you on a specific day of the week? Or someone who has sessions at night?
Next, start making a list of therapists in your area. If you live in the United States, head over to the American Psychological Association’s therapist locator.
Concerned about the cost? Our guide to affordable therapy can help.

Online therapy options

Read our review of the best online therapy options to help find the right fit for you.

What does a cognitive behavioral therapist do?

Typical CBT treatment often involves identifying personal beliefs or feelings that negatively impact your life and learning new problem-solving skills. Your therapist will work to help you gain confidence and better understand and appreciate your self-worth by facing fears and learning to use calming techniques during challenging situations.

There are a number of techniques your therapist might use during a session, but some of the most popular involve:

setting achievable goals
practicing cognitive restructuring
journaling
undergoing situation exposure

A cognitive behavioral therapist will often assign homework to help you practice the skills you learn in therapy, such as replacing self-criticizing thoughts or journaling.

What are some cognitive behavioral interventions?

There are a number of interventions, or techniques, used during CBT.

All cognitive behavioral interventions share a number of general characteristics, including:

therapist-client collaboration
an emphasis on environment-behavior relations
a time-limited and present focus

Common CBT techniques include:

thought recording and journaling
exposure therapy
role-playing

What can I expect in CBT?

CBT focuses on finding ways to change current thought patterns and behaviors that are negatively impacting your life.

CBT is usually a short-term process that provides you with tools to solve problems you are currently going through. While specific goals should be set by you and the therapist, the general goal of CBT is to reframe your negative thoughts into positive feelings and behaviors.

What are examples of cognitive behavioral therapy?

Examples of CBT techniques might include the following:

Exposing yourself to situations that cause anxiety, like going into a crowded public space.
Journaling about your thoughts throughout the day and recording your feelings about your thoughts.
Engaging in mindfulness meditation, where you tune into the thoughts that come into your mind and let them pass without judgment.
Looking at overwhelming tasks in a new way by breaking them up into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Scheduling activities that make you nervous or give you anxiety.
Role-playing to practice social skills or to improve your communication skills.

What is the goal of CBT?

People come to therapy for a variety of reasons, so the individual goal will vary by person. With CBT, the ultimate goal is to focus on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Through therapy, exercises, and homework, a therapist encourages people to recognize and gain control over their automatic thoughts and to learn ways to change their behaviors. As a result, a person may feel better, leading to a more positive cycle between these three things.

In other words: Positive feelings = positive thoughts = positive behaviors.

CBT may be a good therapy choice for you if you’re looking for something that’s focused on current problems you’re facing versus those that happened in the past.

It’s a short-term therapy that requires you to be actively involved in the process. Meeting with a therapist can help you identify your therapy goals and discover whether CBT or its subtypes are the right choice in your particular situation.

If CBT isn’t what’s best for you, there are various other types of therapy that may be a better fit. Reach out to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional for help navigating the options.

What Is It and Who Can It Help?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that helps you recognize negative or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns.

Read on to learn more about CBT, including:

core concepts
what it can help treat
what to expect during a session

CBT is largely based on the idea that your thoughts, emotions, and actions are connected. In other words, the way you think and feel about something can affect what you do.

According to the American Psychological Association, the core concepts of CBT include:

psychological issues are partly based on unhelpful ways of thinking
psychological issues are partly based on learned patterns of behavior
those living with these issues can improve with better coping mechanisms and management to help relieve their symptoms

The cycle of thoughts and behaviors
Here’s a closer look at how thoughts and emotions can influence behavior — in a positive or negative way:
Inaccurate or negative perceptions or thoughts contribute to emotional distress and mental health concerns.
These thoughts and the resulting distress sometimes lead to unhelpful or harmful behaviors.
Eventually, these thoughts and resulting behaviors can become a pattern that repeats itself.
Learning how to address and change these patterns can help you deal with problems as they arise, which can help reduce future distress.

So how does one go about reworking these patterns? CBT involves the use of many varied techniques. Your therapist will work with you to find the ones that work best for you.

Typical treatment often involves the following:

recognizing how inaccurate thinking can worsen problems
learning new problem-solving skills
gaining confidence and a better understanding and appreciation of your self-worth
learning how to face fears and challenges
using role play and calming techniques when faced with potentially challenging situations

The goal of these techniques is to replace unhelpful or self-defeating thoughts with more encouraging and realistic ones.

These are some of the most popular techniques used in CBT:

SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited.
Guided discovery and questioning. By questioning the assumptions you have about yourself or your current situation, your therapist can help you learn to challenge these thoughts and consider different viewpoints.
Journaling. You might be asked to jot down negative beliefs that come up during the week and the positive ones you can replace them with.
Self-talk. Your therapist may ask what you tell yourself about a certain situation or experience and challenge you to replace negative or critical self-talk with compassionate, constructive self-talk.
Cognitive restructuring. This involves looking at any cognitive distortions affecting your thoughts — such as black-and-white thinking, jumping to conclusions, or catastrophizing — and beginning to unravel them.
Thought recording. In this technique, you’ll record thoughts and feelings experienced during a specific situation, then come up with unbiased evidence supporting your negative belief and evidence against it. You’ll use this evidence to develop a more realistic thought.
Positive activities. Scheduling a rewarding activity each day can help increase overall positivity and improve your mood. Some examples might be buying yourself fresh flowers or fruit, watching your favorite movie, or taking a picnic lunch to the park.
Situation exposure. This involves listing situations or things that cause distress, in order of the level of distress they cause, and slowly exposing yourself to these things until they lead to fewer negative feelings. Systematic desensitization is a similar technique where you’ll learn relaxation techniques to help you cope with your feelings in a difficult situation.

This might involve more practice with skills you learn in therapy, such as replacing self-criticizing thoughts with self-compassionate ones or keeping track of unhelpful thoughts in a journal.

CBT can help with a range of things, including the following mental health conditions:

depression
eating disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and phobia
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
schizophrenia
bipolar disorder
substance misuse

But you don’t need to have a specific mental health condition to benefit from CBT. It can also help with:

relationship difficulties
breakup or divorce
a serious health diagnosis, such as cancer
grief or loss
chronic pain
low self-esteem
insomnia
general life stress

CBT is one of the most studied therapy approaches. In fact, many experts consider it to be the best treatment available for a number of mental health conditions.

Here’s some research behind it:

A 2018 review of 41 studies looking at CBT in the treatment of anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD found evidence to suggest that it could help improve symptoms in all of these situations. The approach was most effective for OCD, anxiety, and stress.
A 2018 study looking at CBT for anxiety in young people found that the approach appeared to have good long-term results. More than half of the participants in the study no longer met criteria for anxiety at follow-up, which took place 2 or more years after they completed therapy.
Research published in 2011 suggests that CBT can not only help treat depression, but it may also help reduce the chances of relapse after treatment. Additionally, it may help improve symptoms of bipolar disorder when paired with medication, but more research is needed to help support this finding.
One 2017 study looking at 43 people with OCD found evidence to suggest brain function appeared to improve after CBT, particularly with regard to resisting compulsions.
A 2018 study looking at 104 people found evidence to suggest CBT can also help improve cognitive function for people with major depression and PTSD.
Research from 2010 shows that CBT can also be an effective tool when dealing with substance misuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, CBT can also be used to help people cope with addiction and avoid relapse after treatment.
Newer research from 2020 and 2021 even shows that both virtual and internet-based CBT hold promise for effective treatment. More research is needed to see how to best treat people virtually and if blended techniques could also be beneficial.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy is often a longer-term approach to mental health treatment compared with CBT.

This form of therapy can be useful for addressing a variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use disorder.

Behavioral therapy

Behavioral therapy is often focused on current issues and how to change them. People most commonly seek this form of therapy to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and anger issues.

Humanistic therapy

There are various forms of therapy that fit under the CBT umbrella. You’ll work with your therapist to find which type of therapy works best for you and your goals.

These subtypes include:

Exposure therapy. This type of therapy involves slowly introduces anxiety-inducing activities/situations into your life for measured periods of time (one to two hours up to three times a day, for example). This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with phobias or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DBT incorporates things like mindfulness and emotional regulation through talk therapy in an individual or group setting. This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with borderline personality disorder (BPD), eating disorders, or depression.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT is therapy that involves learning to accept negative or unwanted thoughts. This subtype may be particularly effective for people who deal with intrusive thoughts or catastrophic thinking.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). MBCT uses mindfulness techniques and meditation along with cognitive therapy. This subtype can be particularly effective for people who deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). REBT is the original form of CBT and focuses on negative thought patterns and how they influence issues with emotions or behaviors. This subtype can be particularly effective for anything from anxiety to depression, sleep issues to addictive behaviors and more.

There are benefits to engaging in any type of therapy — not just for yourself, but also for your family members, partner, or other people in your life.

Benefits and pros specifically related to CBT:

The overall course of therapy is short. The duration of therapy tends to be shorter than in other types — typically five to 20 sessions in all.
As a result, CBT may be more affordable than other options that take place over a longer period of time. It may also be more affordable if you get it in a group setting.
CBT reaps long-term results. Research on depression shows that people who have had CBT are less likely to relapse than people who took antidepressant medications with no therapy.
Sessions are flexible and offered in various formats. For example, you can go to in-person sessions that are either individual or group. Some people even get CBT online or via phone.
Skills learned in therapy can be applied directly to everyday life. The goal of CBT is to give tools to the person receiving therapy. These tools help them take control of their issues during the course of therapy and beyond.
Playing an active role in healing may be empowering to people who get CBT. With time, the goal for people in therapy is to overcome issues on their own using the tools they picked up in their sessions.
CBT be used with or without medication. Some people may only need CBT while others may find it a useful complement to medications they are taking.

CBT sessions tend to be very structured, but your first appointment may look a bit different.

Here’s a high-level look at what to expect during that first visit:

Your therapist will ask about symptoms, emotions, and feelings you experience. Emotional distress often manifests physically, too. Symptoms such as headaches, body aches, or stomach upset may be relevant, so it’s a good idea to mention them.
They’ll also ask about the specific difficulties you’re experiencing. Feel free to share anything that comes to mind, even if it doesn’t bother you too much. Therapy can help you deal with any challenges you experience, large or small.
You’ll go over general therapy policies, such as confidentiality, and talk about therapy costs, session length, and the number of sessions your therapist recommends.
You’ll talk about your goals for therapy, or what you want from treatment.

Feel free to ask any questions you have as they come up. You might consider asking:

about trying medication along with therapy, if you’re interested in combining the two
how your therapist can help if you’re having thoughts of suicide or find yourself in a crisis
if your therapist has experience helping others with similar concerns
how you’ll know therapy is helping
what will happen in the other sessions

CBT can be helpful. But if you decide to try it, there are a few things to keep in mind.

It’s not a cure

Therapy can help improve concerns you’re experiencing, but it will not necessarily eliminate them. Mental health issues and emotional distress could persist, even after therapy ends.

The goal of CBT is to help you develop the skills to deal with difficulties on your own in the moment when they come up. Some people view the approach as training to provide their own therapy.

Results take time

CBT can last for weeks or months, usually with one session each week. In your first few sessions, you and your therapist will likely talk about how long therapy might last.

Undoing deep-set patterns is major work, so go easy on yourself.

It can be challenging

It’s just one of many options

While CBT can be helpful for many people, it does not work for everyone. If you don’t see any results after a few sessions, do not feel discouraged. Check in with your therapist.

A good therapist can help you recognize when one approach is not working. They can usually recommend other approaches that might help more.

How to find a therapist
Finding a therapist can feel daunting, but it does not have to be. Start by asking yourself a few basic questions:
What issues do you want to address? These can be specific or vague.
Are there any specific traits you’d like in a therapist? For example, are you more comfortable with someone who shares your gender?
How much can you realistically afford to spend per session? Do you want someone who offers sliding-scale prices or payment plans?
Where will therapy fit into your schedule? Do you need a therapist who can see you on a specific day of the week? Or someone who has sessions at night?
Next, start making a list of therapists in your area. If you live in the United States, head over to the American Psychological Association’s therapist locator.
Concerned about the cost? Our guide to affordable therapy can help.

Online therapy options

Read our review of the best online therapy options to help find the right fit for you.

What does a cognitive behavioral therapist do?

There are a number of techniques your therapist might use during a session, but some of the most popular involve:

setting achievable goals
practicing cognitive restructuring
journaling
undergoing situation exposure

A cognitive behavioral therapist will often assign homework to help you practice the skills you learn in therapy, such as replacing self-criticizing thoughts or journaling.

What are some cognitive behavioral interventions?

There are a number of interventions, or techniques, used during CBT.

All cognitive behavioral interventions share a number of general characteristics, including:

therapist-client collaboration
an emphasis on environment-behavior relations
a time-limited and present focus

Common CBT techniques include:

thought recording and journaling
exposure therapy
role-playing

What can I expect in CBT?

CBT focuses on finding ways to change current thought patterns and behaviors that are negatively impacting your life.

What are examples of cognitive behavioral therapy?

Examples of CBT techniques might include the following:

Exposing yourself to situations that cause anxiety, like going into a crowded public space.
Journaling about your thoughts throughout the day and recording your feelings about your thoughts.
Engaging in mindfulness meditation, where you tune into the thoughts that come into your mind and let them pass without judgment.
Looking at overwhelming tasks in a new way by breaking them up into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Scheduling activities that make you nervous or give you anxiety.
Role-playing to practice social skills or to improve your communication skills.

What is the goal of CBT?

People come to therapy for a variety of reasons, so the individual goal will vary by person. With CBT, the ultimate goal is to focus on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

In other words: Positive feelings = positive thoughts = positive behaviors.

CBT may be a good therapy choice for you if you’re looking for something that’s focused on current problems you’re facing versus those that happened in the past.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Origins

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

What processes led to the emergence of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

What is the place of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) among modern psychotherapeutic techniques?

Freud's Theory

At the end of the 19th century, Freud presented to the public his view of the human psyche, its components, the causes of the formation of psychopathology and the principles of its treatment - psychoanalysis. Freud made the main emphasis in his theory on the study of unconscious mental processes, presenting them as the main source of both psychopathology and daily behavioral acts.

See also

Myths about diagnosing mental illness

Behavioral Theory and Behavioral Therapy

At the same end of the 19th century, a behavioral theory began to develop - behaviorism (behaviorism), originating with Pavlov and Bekhterev and presented as a well-formed theory in the works of Skinner and Bandura by the middle of the 20th century. Skinner preferred to explain the human psyche, his personality, behavior and psychopathology in behavioral terms, arguing that one should operate only with those concepts that can be empirically measured. Behaviorists argued that only stimulus and behavior are objectively measurable concepts. At the same time, it was argued that the human brain is a “black box” (black box) - a kind of black hole in which objectively unmeasurable and unknowable processes take place. Therefore, behaviorists in their work addressed only the stimulus and behavior.

New brain data and cognitive behavioral therapy

In the 60s-70s. In the 20th century, new data about the brain and cognitive processes appear. Computer science is developing (knowledge about the brain and cognitive processes is the basis for compiling computer programs, in turn, the brain and cognition are explained by analogy with a computer) and now it becomes impossible to treat the brain as a black hole.

As a consequence, the work of Piaget and his students, describing cognitive processes, occupy an increasing place in the work of a psychologist. Vygotsky's works are being actively translated into other languages and occupy a firm place in Western academic psychology. In psychotherapy, Aron Beck develops cognitive theory and Albert Ellis rational-emotive theory, later merged into cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The main emphasis in these theories is on cognitive processes that largely determine the human psyche, his personality, behavior and psychopathology.

Cognitive behavioral therapy at the tip of a knife

CBT explains psychopathological processes by the influence of parasitic thoughts on human behavior. Thoughts-parasites are thoughts that negatively affect human self-esteem, perception of the external and internal world. Such thoughts have different colors: mind-reading (“I know what others think of me”), self-flagellation (“I am to blame for everything”), negative perception of reality, timeline, self or other, called the 'Beck Triad', by name Aaron Beck, who first pointed out this kind of parasitic thought (“everything is bad, it always has been, is and will be, and I will never get out of this hole”). Thoughts-parasites negatively affect the feelings of a person and the interpretation of sensations perceived by human senses (I was specially pushed, the whole world is against me and I feel extremely bad). Such a chain closes with appropriate behavior (if I feel so bad and everyone is against me, then I have no reason to live, I don’t want to leave the house). Accordingly, our actions and our feelings affect our way of thinking.

See also

What are cognitive biases?

Treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

There are many approaches and techniques emerging from the theoretical developments of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) psychotherapist will offer to identify parasitic thoughts and change their direction with the help of the so-called Socratic questions: who said that everything is bad?; where did you get the idea that it will be like this forever? etc. Many other cognitive techniques allow you to change the negative train of thought. But just changing the way you think is not enough to alleviate mental pain or build relationships. A certain cognitive-behavioral therapy is required (auto-training, meditative techniques, communication training, etc.), the use of which leads the patient both to change negative thinking to a more optimistic one, and to acquire more adaptive behavior patterns.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

According to current research in the field of psychotherapy, conducted by both the WHO (World Health Organization) and the US Department of Health, cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for most mental disorders. Among the problems that can be successfully treated with this method of psychotherapy are anxiety disorders, addictions, obsessions, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, sexual disorders, etc. It also gives excellent results in such areas as the treatment of neuroses, the treatment of depression and the treatment of panic attacks. A rare psychologist or psychiatrist denies the effectiveness of this method. In Western psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common treatment technique, showing good results in a relatively short time.

Diagnostics
Alcoholism

6.2 Cognitive behavioral therapy

behavioral therapy model based on psychological theories of learning and perception.

At the heart of the theory cognitive behavioral therapy lie notions that behavior human is determined, and that inappropriate forms of behavior are amenable to correction with the help of induced learning processes. Other important The thesis of this theory is that all forms of behavior can be observed, and cognitive behavior obeys the laws of learning.

Scott and Dryden distinguish the following main types cognitive behavioral therapy:

formation coping skills - based on stress coping training when in training, with clients practice action skills and communications in crisis situations;
problematic oriented cognitive-behavioral therapy - human life viewed as a decision process tasks, clients learn to understand problems that arise in the process social functioning, are trained effective ways of planning and action evaluations;
structural cognitive therapy - therapy for change in thinking and motor stereotypes, as a result of which they change customer behavior patterns;

According to American researcher E. Gumbrill, behavioral theory influenced on the development of the theory and practice of social work, it highlights the following components, the theoretical constructs:

socio-systemic the nature of the description of phenomena and phenomena;
collection of positive and negative information allows quickly change the learning process;
case statistics, allows access to objective patterns of interaction;
the role of social employee is not limited to helper functions, but enriched research functions.

Behavioral social work approach is associated with models of social adaptation, modification behavior, with the practice of socialization, in based on behavioral psychology and behavioral therapy.

Human in behavioral approaches, is considered as an individual having problems with behavior. Individual expands its repertoire of behavior, through social learning processes, recognizing your mistakes. In the process social work conditions are created to study the mechanisms of individual behavior, the experience of productive behavior for the real environment environment.

Ambient Wednesday pending as a source of incentive management and reinforcements that either form, or neutralize the behavior of the client. Hence individuals have difficulty when they behave in a non-adaptive manner, as a result inappropriate or inadequate systems reinforcements in the environment.

proceeding of this, in behavioral patterns social work process estimates focused on the behavioral aspects of the individual functioning, customer problem defined in terms of non-adaptive behavior in the context of reflection environment.

Grade includes an interview that focuses on the following:

Estimated

in what is the problem;
on the What is the client complaining about?
in than a behavioral problem;
when there was a problem with the behavior;
is typical behavior problem infrequent, not inherent to the client;
who could be an intermediary;
how the client would like to change;
It has whether the client is motivated to change.

According to concepts of Herbert, social worker after evaluation determines the people, place, time, situations needed to change behavior.

Ambient environment in behavioral social work is primarily other people whose role in the therapeutic process is defined as the source, reinforcing behavioral stimuli.

Contract in social behavioral work regarded as a specific aid, aimed at modification behavior , with clear prescribed program and results changes.

Modification behavior directed to help individuals in order to obtain their patterns of behavior that enable them to function successfully in the environment environment. This is achieved thanks to implementation of socialization programs and educational programs, including experience of the current situation of the client's life, turning it into a positive experience study. Help is new knowledge of the situation, competence in behavioral repertoires and social roles determined by life situations. The main effort of social employees are aimed at forming reinforcement systems in the environment and the formation of social systems support for certain adaptive behavior patterns.

Social worker performs in the behavioral model of help as expert, teacher, guide, covers a wide range of adaptive, socializing, therapeutic functions.

AT the table below reflects trends in the formation of behavioral approaches and theories of social learning, that have influenced behavioral methods in the theory and practice of social work.

BEHAVIORISM		THEORY SOCIAL LEARNING
classic Watson's definition. operant learning. Skinner		Late theory of learning. Main representative A. Bandura.
CHARACTERISTIC		SIGNS
home the role belongs to the externally observable behavior. Behavior is the result of learning. Learning based on interaction events and consequences of actions person. wide use of animals in research, attempts to experiment with humans.		AT learning plays a role not only behavior, but also thinking and feeling person. Learning occurs when active links to previous experience. Explores learning in social situations.
MODELS		ACTION
Adjustment behavior that directly reflects behaviorist theory. Methods, based on the principles of behaviorism, applied in those institutions social work, where behaviorism included in the theoretical basis of the work.		Short term Reid and Epstein models oriented for problem solving.
VALUABLE		ORIENTATIONS
AT the moment of birth man was considered like an empty box. Personality formed through learning. At right learning can create person in accordance with social order. planning teaching people can set direction development of society.		Human learning how to behave that would ensure his survival and the best existence. Human learns by interacting with the environment, and at the same time able to influence learning abilities; the person is very is active and can change the environment.
BEHAVIORISM	THEORY OF SOCIAL LEARNINGS
ORIENTATION	RELATIONSHIPS
Depends on learning; man adopts inappropriate behaviors and learn appropriate forms. Careful behavioral analysis is carried out before the stage of choosing measures of influence.	Relations task oriented and limited in time. Aimed at problem solving, where the goal is often is a change in social function. Also can change the foundations of social function, related to the environment.
	CRITIQUE
Mechanistic perspective on human learning. Impact on human behavior at work can be used for the purposes patient manipulation. Rejection using punishment as a negative the consequences of behavior.	Considers social problems through the prism social function and "does not notice" social context.

General findings
Cognitive and behavioral concepts in theory social work presented numerous approaches, and are connected, First and foremost, learning theory cognitive theory. Based on them received their development and corresponding types of therapeutic practices that can be directed to education mental and sensory processes as well as changing thoughts and feelings, and as well as behavioral changes. Cognitive and behavioral concepts have many in common with task-oriented model, as well as with humanistic and constructivist concepts aimed at developing relationships thinking and behavior.

General findings

Cognitive and behavioral concepts in theory social work presented numerous approaches, and are connected, First and foremost, learning theory cognitive theory.

Based on them received their development and corresponding types of therapeutic practices that can be directed to education mental and sensory processes as well as changing thoughts and feelings, and as well as behavioral changes.

Cognitive and behavioral concepts have many in common with task-oriented model, as well as with humanistic and constructivist concepts aimed at developing relationships thinking and behavior.

Exercise 1.

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