What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is one of the most researched and widely used forms of therapy. It focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—and how changing one can shift the others. CBT is based on the idea that it's not events themselves that cause distress, but how you interpret and respond to them.

Through CBT, you'll learn to identify unhelpful thought patterns that keep you stuck, challenge beliefs that aren't serving you, and develop practical skills to respond differently. The goal is to give you tools you can use on your own, long after therapy ends.

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Why is it called CBT?

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy—"cognitive" refers to your thoughts, and "behavioral" refers to your actions.

Cognitive work helps you notice patterns in how you think. You'll learn to spot thoughts that are distorted, unhelpful, or automatic—like assuming the worst, personalizing things that aren't about you, or getting stuck in all-or-nothing thinking. Once you can see these patterns, you can start to challenge and change them.

Behavioral work focuses on what you do. You'll experiment with acting differently, even when your thoughts or feelings are telling you to avoid, withdraw, or stay stuck. Over time, changing your behavior changes how you feel and what you believe is possible.

Together, the cognitive and behavioral pieces help you break cycles that keep you struggling and build new patterns that actually move your life forward.

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Is CBT right for you?​​

CBT works well if you're looking for structured, goal-focused therapy with concrete tools you can use. It's a good fit if you like the idea of understanding how your thoughts shape your feelings and behaviors, and you're willing to practice skills between sessions.

CBT is also helpful if you want shorter-term therapy with clear milestones. Most people work with a CBT therapist for 12-20 sessions, though some stay longer depending on what they're working on.

It tends to work best for people who are open to homework—things like tracking thoughts, trying behavioral experiments, or practicing new responses outside of sessions. If you prefer therapy that's more exploratory or less structured, CBT might not be the best fit.

CBT is practical and present-focused. If your main goal is to process past trauma in depth or explore childhood experiences, other approaches like EMDR or psychodynamic therapy might be a better match. But if you want to change patterns that are keeping you stuck right now and learn skills that will outlast therapy, CBT is a strong choice.

If you've already spent a lot of time trying to change or challenge your thoughts and it hasn't helped—or has made things worse—CBT might not be what you need right now. In those cases, approaches like ACT (which focuses on accepting thoughts rather than changing them) or DBT (which emphasizes managing emotions and tolerating distress) might be a better fit.

What To Expect In An CBT Session:​

CBT is structured and skill-based. Sessions typically have an agenda, and you'll work collaboratively with your therapist to identify specific problems and set goals. In sessions, you'll learn to notice and challenge unhelpful thoughts, understand how your thoughts influence your feelings and actions, and practice new responses.

Between sessions, you'll have homework—exercises, thought records, or behavioral experiments designed to help you practice what you're learning. This practice is a key part of CBT. The more you use the skills outside of sessions, the more effective therapy becomes.

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What CBT Can Treat:​

CBT is commonly used for depression, anxiety disorders (including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and panic), OCD, PTSD and trauma, chronic stress, and low self-esteem. It's also effective for insomnia, eating concerns, and anger management.

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Research shows CBT is one of the most effective treatments for many mental health challenges. Most people see improvement within 12-20 sessions, though this varies depending on what you're working on.

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What Progress Looks Like:

Some people notice changes within a few sessions, especially as they start recognizing thought patterns they hadn't seen before. Early progress often looks like awareness—catching yourself in old patterns even if you can't change them yet.

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As you practice the skills, you'll start to respond differently. You might still have negative or anxious thoughts, but instead of automatically believing them, you're able to question them or let them pass. You'll notice you're less reactive and recover faster when things don't go well.

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Behavioral changes typically follow. You start doing things you've been avoiding, trying new responses, and taking action even when you're not fully confident. Over time, the automatic negative patterns lose their grip, and you feel more in control—not because difficult thoughts disappear, but because you know what to do with them.

CBT is about building skills that outlast therapy. The goal is for you to become your own therapist—recognizing unhelpful patterns early and knowing how to work with them.

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Next Steps

If CBT sounds like a good fit, contact our client care team to be matched with a therapist trained in CBT and set up your first session.