INFOGRAPHICWELL-BEING

What Is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)?

By Josey Murray
Reviewed by Susan Ko, Ph.D.
December 12, 2024
CBT noun Cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of therapy that helps you identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and adopt better coping skills.

Our beliefs about ourselves and the world can impact how we feel and react to certain situations. Sometimes, how we think and behave can be unhelpful to our own well‑being.

But when we begin to recognize our own challenging patterns of thinking and behavior, we can learn to use strategies to change these patterns of thinking and behavior. That idea is central to cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.

CBT is one of the most common types of psychotherapy. Through it, we can recognize and change our thought and behavior patterns for the better. This therapeutic approach is based on the idea that unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns can be unlearned or replaced with healthy coping skills. Learning how to navigate mental health challenges with coping strategies can help to relieve stress and improve well‑being.

If you’re interested in trying CBT, reach out to a licensed mental health professional who specializes in CBT.