COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY (CBT)

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapy that is based on the cognitive model: the way that individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. One important part of CBT is helping clients change their unhelpful thinking and behavior that lead to enduring improvement in their mood and functioning. CBT focuses on the interaction or linkage between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This is given to the concept that negative thoughts lead to negative emotions that often result in negative behaviors, regularly becoming habitual and/or of a cyclical pattern. CBT helps individuals challenge patterns and beliefs, replacing errors in thinking styles and maladaptive (or unhelpful) thinking styles with more realistic and effective thoughts and thinking styles, thus decreasing emotional distress and self-defeating behavior.

CBT uses a variety of cognitive and behavioral techniques, but it isn’t defined by its use of these strategies. CBT approaches employ problem solving and borrow from many psychotherapeutic modalities, including dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, Gestalt therapy, compassion focused therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, positive psychology, interpersonal psychotherapy, and when it comes to personality disorders, psychodynamic psychotherapy.