What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

[Priya Sachdeva]

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most popular and proven forms of psychotherapy. It’s often used to treat depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions as well as addictions. The goal is to help people learn to identify negative or unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns so they can replace them with healthier ones. This approach can be just as effective as medication.


The first step of CBT involves identifying the unhelpful thoughts that cause distress. This is done through individual talk therapy in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment with a licensed mental health professional who has been trained to work with this type of therapy. The first sessions may involve a lot of introspection, but it’s important to get these negative thought patterns out in the open and discussed. It’s also important to recognize that these negative beliefs are not necessarily true. For example, some common thought distortions include over-generalizing (when you make negative conclusions about a single incident and apply them to other situations) and catastrophizing (when you exaggerate the severity of a situation).

After you have a clear understanding of the unhelpful patterns, you will begin to tackle these habits. This is done by putting new, more helpful coping skills into practice in your daily life and practicing them during therapy sessions. During these sessions, your therapist will help you to apply the new coping strategies to challenging scenarios that might come up during your journey toward recovery.

This approach is very practical and results-oriented. It’s based on the scientifically supported belief that most emotional and behavioral reactions are learned. For this reason, it’s much easier to unlearn unwanted reactions than it is to learn new ones.

CBT is most commonly used to treat mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, but it’s also a good choice for people who struggle with substance abuse, eating disorders or even chronic pain conditions like tinnitus and rheumatism. In fact, some studies have found that this form of psychotherapy is just as effective as psychiatric medications for certain conditions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can take time, and there are times when it might feel uncomfortable or as though you’re not making progress. However, it’s important to stick with the process and be patient. You will likely see a difference over time, especially if you regularly practice the new coping skills between sessions.

It’s important to remember that CBT requires a commitment from both you and your therapist. Typically, you will need to attend therapy sessions weekly for several weeks or months. This can be a challenge for some, especially when coping with severe symptoms or when it takes time to find the right therapist. If you’re having trouble getting started, BetterHelp can help match you with a therapist who is trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and make the process of starting therapy as easy as possible. Simply fill out our short questionnaire and you could be matched within 48 hours!