What Is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on a simple but powerful idea: our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. By changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, we can change how we feel.
CBT is the most researched form of psychotherapy with hundreds of clinical trials supporting its effectiveness. It's considered the gold standard treatment for anxiety disorders and is highly effective for depression.
How CBT Works
CBT targets the cycle between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors:
- Cognitive: Identifying and challenging unhelpful thought patterns (catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind-reading)
- Behavioral: Changing behaviors that maintain problems (avoidance, safety behaviors, inactivity)
Unlike some therapies that explore past experiences at length, CBT focuses primarily on present problems and practical solutions. It's goal-oriented and time-limited.
What to Expect in CBT
- Structure: Sessions follow an agenda with specific goals
- Collaboration: You and your therapist work as a team
- Homework: Practice between sessions is essential (thought records, behavioral experiments)
- Skills focus: You learn techniques you can use independently
- Progress tracking: Regular assessment of symptom change
Conditions CBT Treats
Strong evidence for:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Social Anxiety
- Panic Disorder
- Depression
- OCD (with ERP component)
- PTSD
- Insomnia (CBT-I)
- Eating Disorders
- Chronic Pain
CBT Online
CBT translates exceptionally well to online delivery. Its structured nature and reliance on worksheets/exercises work naturally in a digital format. Research shows online CBT is as effective as in-person for most conditions.
Where to Find CBT Online
Is CBT Right for You?
Good fit if you:
- Want practical, skills-based treatment
- Prefer structure and clear goals
- Are willing to do homework between sessions
- Want time-limited therapy (not indefinite)
May not be ideal if you:
- Want to explore childhood/past extensively
- Prefer open-ended, exploratory therapy
- Aren't ready for structured exercises