September 16th, 2025
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered the “gold standard” psychotherapy for anxiety and depression, and research has shown it is effective for treating many other mental health conditions as well. But what does cognitive behavioral therapy really mean? CBT therapy is a combination of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy.
For many people, symptoms of depression and anxiety have become a part of daily life, but that does not need to be the case! CBT therapy teaches us that the way we think, feel, and behave are all connected. Keep reading to learn what CBT therapy is, how it works, and mental health conditions it can help treat.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy (psychotherapy) that helps people identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors to improve mood and coping skills.
For example, thinking “nobody likes me,” can lead to feeling anxious about attending an event, and then lead to avoiding attending the event. CBT teaches you to reframe those thoughts, so instead of thinking “nobody likes me”, maybe you think “Not everyone has to like me—what matters is building connections with people who do.”
This shift helps reduce anxiety, encourages attending the event, and opens the door to more positive experiences. CBT therapy promotes positive behavioral change and growth, by helping us to recognize and change these negative thought patterns that impact our emotions and behaviors.
It’s a time-limited, goal-oriented treatment, which means many people experience improvement in symptoms and daily functioning faster than they may with other forms of treatment.
Using CBT skills can also be helpful for those who don’t have a mental health disorder. By changing the way you think about your experiences, you can improve your mood and take actions that are consistent with your goals to improve your life.
It is effective for children, adolescents, and adults. Research has found it is just as effective as other forms of therapy, and even more effective for specific disorders.
CBT therapy works by helping people change behaviors, develop new coping strategies, and change negative and unhelpful ways of thinking and seeing situations. This is done with cognitive restructuring, self-monitoring, goal setting, behavioral activation, relaxation and mindfulness, and exposure.
Cognitive restructuring is often the first skill learned, and it involves identifying and challenging negative thoughts. In CBT negative thoughts are referred to as cognitive distortions. Examples include:
These thoughts are often experienced as automatic, and with the help of your therapist, you can learn to identify them and eventually challenge and reframe them.
Challenging these thoughts involves asking yourself questions when these thoughts occur, such as:
By asking ourselves these questions, we are often able to recognize that these negative thoughts are not true, which puts us in a place to reframe them by thinking about the situation in a positive or neutral way.
Self-monitoring involves tracking behaviors, symptoms, or experiences over time and reviewing this log with your therapist to help recognize your patterns of behavior and changes you make over time.
Goal setting in CBT involves SMART goals, which are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based.
Behavioral activation involves scheduling activities that you enjoy to help improve your mood. Exposure is a behavioral technique that involves facing an object or situation that causes fear or anxiety, through imaginal or in vivo exposure exercises. Relaxation and mindfulness skills involve engaging in deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation to help calm the mind and body.
Overall, CBT works by following a structured process that helps people break free from negative thought patterns and behaviors:
Here is an example of someone going through the structured process to break away from a negative thought:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy differs from other psychological treatments in several ways.
First, while many traditional forms of talk therapy like psychodynamic therapy focus on past experiences and unconscious processes, CBT is present-oriented and encourages clients to focus on the here and now. This allows for faster symptom reduction and improvement in daily functioning by focusing on learning skills that target current thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Second, while the duration of therapy is not always specified in other forms of therapy, CBT therapy typically involves 12 to 20 sessions. This varies from person to person based on your goals and needs.
Third, CBT involves a collaborative approach between the therapist and the client. Unlike other forms of therapy that involve the therapist taking an expert role and leading you through treatment, in CBT the therapist works with you to recognize patterns in your thoughts and behaviors, set goals, solve problems, and learn skills. This is called collaborative empiricism, and research has shown that it is one of the main reasons CBT is so effective.
Lastly, the goal-oriented nature of CBT allows you to identify the changes you would like to make, such as reducing anxiety, improving motivation, or decreasing negative behaviors. You will then work as a team with your therapist to find the right combination of skills to meet your goals.
An eventual goal of CBT is for you to learn to help yourself, and essentially you become your own therapist by using the skills you have learned in therapy to view and approach situations in more positive and adaptive ways.
CBT therapy can involve one-on-one or group sessions. As mentioned above, it is a time-limited, goal-oriented, and collaborative approach. Each session is structured based on the goals set during your first session when your treatment plan is created.
A CBT treatment plan involves identifying one or more problems or symptoms that you want to target, and then identifying a long-term goal and multiple short-term goals related to this problem or symptom. For each short-term goal, you and your therapist will select a date you plan to achieve the goal by.
This can be modified as treatment continues. You will then identify the interventions, which include the actions and skills you plan to engage in to meet these goals. Lastly, you will set dates to review the treatment plan together during your upcoming sessions.
Research has found that CBT is effective for a wide variety of mental health issues including:
CBT therapy is also effective for emotional concerns that involve relationship issues, divorce, grief and loss, low self-esteem, anger issues, and stress management.
Lastly, CBT can be helpful in managing chronic pain and chronic health issues including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue. If you are experiencing any of these issues, cognitive behavioral therapy can be a very effective treatment option for you. CBT therapy can be used alone or combined with psychiatric medication.
If you’re interested in finding the best cognitive behavioral therapy near you, Clarity Clinic can help! At Clarity, you can find the right CBT therapist that can make all the difference. You can choose between multiple licensed therapists who specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, eating disorders, OCD, and more!
Whether you’re searching for CBT therapy near you or want flexible options like online CBT sessions, Clarity Clinic makes high-quality care accessible. Our goal is to provide you with evidence-based tools and ongoing support so you can create lasting, positive change in your life.
Our mental health clinics are located in the Loop, River North, Lakeview Belmont, Lakeview Broadway, Evanston, and Arlington Heights. Make sure to explore our convenient online therapy options that make mental health care accessible no matter your schedule.
Find a CBT Therapist Today!Related Readings:
- Is Online Therapy Effective?
- Exploring the Power of DBT and Distress Tolerance
What do the 5 steps of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involve?
The 5 main steps of CBT include: identifying negative thoughts, challenging unhelpful beliefs, reframing with healthier thinking, practicing coping skills, and applying these changes in daily life.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy in simple terms?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that helps people notice negative thoughts and behaviors, challenge them, and replace them with healthier ones to improve mental health.
How long does a CBT session take?
A typical CBT session lasts about 30–60 minutes, depending on the therapist and the treatment plan. Sessions are usually held once a week but can be more frequent if needed.
What are CBT coping skills?
CBT coping skills are practical strategies such as reframing negative thoughts, practicing relaxation techniques, using problem-solving methods, and building healthier daily routines to manage stress, anxiety, and depression.
Can CBT therapy be done online?
Yes! CBT therapy can be done online, explore our online mental health services to get the flexible care you deserve.
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