Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): What It Is & Techniques

What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented type of psychotherapy (talk therapy).

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Mental health professionals, including psychologists, therapists and counselors, use it to treat or manage mental health conditions and emotional concerns. It’s one of the most common and best-studied forms of psychotherapy.

CBT is based on several core principles, including:

• Psychological issues are partly based on problematic or unhelpful patterns of thinking.
• Psychological issues are partly based on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior.
• Psychological issues are partly based on problematic core beliefs, including central ideas about yourself and the world.
• People experiencing psychological issues can learn better ways of coping with them. This can help relieve their symptoms and improve their mental and emotional health.

During CBT, a mental health professional helps you take a close look at your thoughts and emotions. You’ll come to understand how your thoughts affect your actions. Through CBT, you can unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and learn to adopt healthier thinking patterns and habits.

CBT usually takes place over a limited number of sessions. Using a question-and-answer format, your therapist helps you gain a different perspective. As a result, you learn to respond better to stress, pain and difficult situations.

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CBT can be used alone or along with medication and other therapies. Your therapist will customize your treatment based on the issue you’re addressing.

What conditions can cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treat?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a valuable tool for treating and managing a wide range of mental health conditions and emotional challenges. People of all ages (including children) can receive CBT.

Therapists and psychologists use CBT to treat many mental health conditions, including:

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Phobias.
• Personality disorders.
• Eating disorders, including bulimia, anorexia or binge eating disorder.
• Substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder.

When combined with medication, CBT is useful in treating bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Studies have shown that CBT is also effective in helping manage nonpsychological medical conditions, including:

• Insomnia.
• Fibromyalgia and other causes of chronic pain.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Migraines.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

CBT can help people work through everyday challenges and life changes, too. You might seek help for issues such as:

• Relationship issues.
• Divorce.
• Problems at work.
• Grief.
• Adjusting to a new life situation or medical condition.
• Stress and coping difficulties.

How do I find a CBT therapist?

A therapist can be a psychologist, psychiatrist (a medical doctor who can prescribe medications), psychiatric nurse, social worker or family therapist.

Finding the right therapist for you is often a time-consuming task. Try not to become discouraged. Talk to people you trust to give you a referral for a therapist who uses cognitive behavioral therapy, whether it’s your primary healthcare provider or a friend or family member.

You can also search for therapists online through local and state psychological associations.

Be sure that any therapist you’re interested in seeing is a state-certified and licensed mental health professional and that they treat your area of concern (for example, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, etc.).

Most therapists’ websites list the conditions and problems they treat. If you have questions, call or email the therapist’s office before you choose.