Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy (psychotherapy). You work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist or therapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.

CBT can be a very helpful tool ― either alone or in combination with other therapies ― in treating mental health disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or an eating disorder. But not everyone who benefits from CBT has a mental health condition. CBT can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations.

Why it's done

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat a wide range of issues. It's often the preferred type of psychotherapy because it can quickly help you identify and cope with specific challenges. It generally requires fewer sessions than other types of therapy and is done in a structured way.
CBT is a useful tool to address emotional challenges. For example, it may help you:

The first step with anger is to determine whether it is (1) an appropriate response to a situation and therefore needs to be allowed, accepted and, usually, expressed: (2) obscuring a more basic, threatening feeling (e.g. hurt), in which case anger needs to be understood as a defensive reaction and then bypassed to help the client face and deal with this more basic feeling; or (3) too intense and therefore needs to be regulated so the client can choose when to express himself in a more controlled and effective manner,

Change strategies need to be tailored to these different states of anger. With over control of anger, the therapist helps the client increase his awareness of the anger components, including physical sensations and thoughts. The client then often needs to challenge dysfunctional thoughts that inhibit the expression of anger (e.g. “I shouldn’t express these feeling – it wouldn’t be nice”.) Finally, the client may benefit from coaching on how to express the anger appropriately by developing an assertive style that can promote respect or even closeness with others.

With under control of anger, the client is coached to develop skills of emotional regulation. These include identifying and challenging the beliefs that can fuel anger; learning relaxation skills to help soothe the intense physiological sensations that accompany rage; and mindfulness skills. Mindfulness skills enable the client to get distance from intense, disorganizing feelings, yet also promote awareness and insight. This helps the client take appropriate action rather than be victimized by anger.

  • Manage symptoms of mental illness
  • Prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms
  • Treat a mental illness when medications aren’t a good option
  • Learn techniques for coping with stressful life situations
  • Identify ways to manage emotions
  • Resolve relationship conflicts and learn better ways to communicate
  • Cope with grief or loss
  • Overcome emotional trauma related to abuse or violence
  • Cope with a medical illness
  • Manage chronic physical symptoms

Mental health disorders that may improve with CBT include:

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Phobias
  • PTSD
  • Sleep disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Substance use disorders
  • Bipolar disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Sexual disorders

In some cases, CBT is most effective when it’s combined with other treatments, such as antidepressants or other medications.