What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)?
Short answer
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an approach built on the relationship between what a person thinks, feels and does. The work is usually focused on the present, with goals agreed at the start and exercises practised between sessions.
How a session tends to work
Early sessions usually define together what will be worked on, in concrete terms: sleeping better, speaking in public, handling a specific situation that keeps repeating.
During the process it is common to look at everyday situations and at what went through your mind at the time, then examine that thought with the professional. Agreed practice outside the session is frequent.
What sets CBT apart
Two features come up often: a stronger focus on the present than on origins, and agreed tasks between one session and the next.
This does not make CBT better or worse. Approach is the professional’s method of work, and psychotherapy research has shown for decades that the bond with the therapist weighs as much as the method.
Frequently asked questions
- Is CBT right for everyone?
- No approach suits everyone. The choice depends on what you are looking for, where you are, and the professional’s assessment. If in doubt, raise it in the first session.
- Is CBT short-term therapy?
- CBT often works with bounded goals, which in many cases shortens the process. But there is no fixed term: duration is agreed and revisited as the work goes on.