Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders.[1][2][3] Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (such as thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes) and their associated behaviors to improve emotional regulation and develop personal coping strategies that target solving current problems.[2][4] Though it was originally designed to treat depression, its uses have been expanded to include many issues and the treatment of many mental health and other conditions, including anxiety,[5][6] substance use disorders, marital problems, ADHD, and eating disorders.[7][8][9][10] CBT includes a number of cognitive or behavioral psychotherapies that treat defined psychopathologies using evidence-based techniques and strategies.[11][12][13]
CBT is a common form of talk therapy based on the combination of the basic principles from behavioral and cognitive psychology.[2] It is different from other approaches to psychotherapy, such as the psychoanalytic approach, where the therapist looks for the unconscious meaning behind the behaviors and then formulates a diagnosis. Instead, CBT is a "problem-focused" and "action-oriented" form of therapy, meaning it is used to treat specific problems related to a diagnosed mental disorder. The therapist's role is to assist the client in finding and practicing effective strategies to address the identified goals and to alleviate symptoms of the disorder.[14] CBT is based on the belief that thought distortions and maladaptive behaviors play a role in the development and maintenance of many psychological disorders and that symptoms and associated distress can be reduced by teaching new information-processing skills and coping mechanisms.[3][1][14][15]
^ abBenjamin CL, Puleo CM, Settipani CA, et al. (2011), "History of cognitive-behavioral therapy in youth", Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 20 (2): 179–189, doi:10.1016/j.chc.2011.01.011, PMC3077930, PMID21440849
^ abSchacter DL, Gilbert DT, Wegner DM (2010), Psychology (2nd ed.), New York: Worth Pub, p. 600
^Brewin CR (1996). "Theoretical foundations of cognitive-behavior therapy for anxiety and depression". Annual Review of Psychology. 47: 33–57. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.47.1.33. PMID8624137.
^Chambless, Baker, Baucom, Beutler, Calhoun, Crits-Christoph (1998). "Update on empirically validated therapies". The Clinical Psychologist: 51, 3–16.
^McIntosh A, Cohen A, Turnbull N, Esmonde L, Dennis P, Eatock J (2004). Clinical guidelines and evidence review for panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorders. Sheffield, UK: University of Sheffield/London: National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)