problem solving cbt

Problem solving

Worrying is a natural response to life's problems. But when it takes over and we can start to feel overwhelmed, it can really help to take a step back and break things down.

Learning new ways to work through your problems can make them feel more manageable, and improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

Video: Problem solving

The tips in this video can help you to find strategies and solutions for tackling the problems that can be solved, and learning how to manage and cope with those that cannot.

Steps and strategies to help you solve problems

1. focus on your values.

Feeling like you have lots of problems to solve in different areas of your life can make it difficult to know how and where to start.

A great way to focus is to write down a few areas of your life that are most important to you right now – for example, a relationship, finances or a long-term goal like studying or developing your career.

This can make it easier to prioritise which problems to tackle.

2. Tackle problems with possible solutions first

It's important to work out if your problem can be solved or is a "hypothetical worry" – things that are out of your control even though you might think about them often.

They might be based on something that happened in the past that cannot be changed or a worry about the future that starts with "what if…".

Ask yourself whether a problem can be dealt with by doing something practical. If the answer is no, it's a hypothetical worry.

Make a list of your problems, and work out which are solvable and which are hypothetical.

3. Set aside time to work through solvable problems

Set aside 5 or 10 minutes to think about possible solutions for one of your solvable problems.

Try to be as open-minded as you can, even if some ideas feel silly. Thinking broadly and creatively is often when the best solutions come to mind.

It may feel difficult at first but, over time, this approach can start to feel easier.

Once you have some ideas, think through or write down:

the pros and cons of each solution
whether it's likely to work
if you have everything you need to try it

4. Make a plan

The next step is to choose a solution you want to try and make a plan for putting it into action. Try to be specific:

What are you going to do?
Do you need the support of anybody else?
How much time do you need?
When will you do it?

5. Try 'worry time'

Not all of our problems can be solved right away, but it can be difficult to switch off and stop ourselves from dwelling on them.

Using the "worry time" technique to stick to a short set time – say 10 to 15 minutes in the evening – for worrying can make this much easier to manage.

You can learn more about the worry time technique on tackling your worries .

6. Find time to relax

Worrying about our problems can make it harder to relax, but there are lots of things you can try to help you clear your mind and feel calmer.

The most important thing is to find what works for you. It might be getting active, spending time on an existing hobby or trying a new one, or techniques like mindfulness, meditation or our progressive muscle relaxation exercise.

Video: Progressive muscle relaxation

This video will guide you through an exercise to help you recognise when you're starting to get tense, and relax your body and mind.

7. Review and reflect

Once you start trying new approaches to solving and managing problems, consider setting aside time to review what went well with your solutions or anything else you noticed.

Make notes of the problems you face and any strategies you use to overcome them. This can come in handy later on and also be a good reminder of what works best for you.

Ticking off on a checklist any problems you manage to solve is a great way to recognise your achievements and boost your confidence.

8. Give journaling a go

Sometimes getting our thoughts out of our head – and down onto paper, our phones or anything else – is a great way to stop our worries and "what ifs" from spiralling out of control.

Expressing ourselves in this way can also make it easier to spot when our thoughts are unhelpful and we may benefit from a more balanced outlook. Give it a go to see if this works for you.

More self-help CBT techniques you can try

Bouncing back from life's challenges.

Taking steps to stay on top of your mental wellbeing and build resilience can really help you deal with problems when times are tougher. Learn more, and see tips and techniques you can use.

Tackling your worries

Facing your fears

Staying on top of things

Find more ideas to try in self-help CBT techniques

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term form of psychotherapy based on the idea that the way someone thinks and feels affects the way he or she behaves. CBT aims to help clients resolve present-day challenges like depression or anxiety , relationship problems, anger issues, stress , or other common concerns that negatively affect mental health and quality of life. The goal of treatment is to help clients identify, challenge, and change maladaptive thought patterns in order to change their responses to difficult situations.

Originally called simply “cognitive therapy,” what is now CBT was developed in the 1960s and 1970s by psychiatrist Aaron Beck, who found that helping depressed patients recognize and challenge their automatic negative thoughts had a positive impact on their symptoms. Beck drew on theories developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, the creator of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), among others, to develop an approach that was short-term and goal-oriented, in contrast to the dominant modalities of the time. Though it was originally designed to treat depression, since its inception CBT has been found to be effective for a wide range of mental health conditions and day-to-day psychological challenges, and is recommended as the first-line treatment for disorders including depression, anxiety, and insomnia .

When It's Used
What to Expect
How It Works
What to Look for in a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist

CBT is appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults and for individuals, families, and couples. A large body of research has found it to be either highly or moderately effective in the treatment of depression , generalized anxiety disorder, post- traumatic stress disorder, general stress, anger issues, panic disorders, agoraphobia, social phobia , eating disorders, marital difficulties , obsessive-compulsive disorder, and childhood anxiety and depressive disorders. CBT may also be effective as an intervention for chronic pain conditions and associated distress. CBT can be used alone or in conjunction with psychiatric medication . Some studies have found that CBT and medication are equally effective in treating depression.

Specialized forms of CBT may also be used to treat specific conditions. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia , or CBT-I, has been found to be a highly effective short-term treatment for chronic insomnia; it is now the recommended first-line treatment for individuals struggling with insomnia. Another example is enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT-E , a form of CBT specifically designed to treat eating disorders. Brief cognitive behavioral therapy, or BCBT, is a shortened form of CBT used in situations where the client is not able to undergo a longer course of therapy.

CBT is a structured form of psychotherapy that can occur in a relatively short period of time—often between 5 and 20 weekly sessions, generally around 45 to 50 minutes each. CBT usually starts with one or two sessions focused on assessment, during which the therapist will help the client identify the symptoms or behavior patterns that are causing them the most problems and set goals for treatment. In subsequent sessions, the client will identify the negative or maladaptive thoughts they have about their current problems and determine whether or not these thoughts are realistic. If these thoughts are deemed unrealistic, the client will learn skills that help them challenge and ultimately change their thinking patterns so they are more accurate with respect to a given situation. Once the client’s perspective is more realistic, the therapist can help them determine an appropriate course of action.

CBT usually concludes with a session or two of recapping, reassessing, and reinforcing what was learned. If necessary, someone may return to therapy for periodic maintenance sessions. Along the way, clients will most likely be given “homework” to do between sessions. That work will typically include exercises that will help them learn to apply the skills and solutions they came up with in therapy to real-world situations in their day-to-day life.

While cognitive behavioral therapy may sound simple—CBT therapist Seth Gillihan writes that he tells clients that the things he’ll ask them to do are “stupidly obvious” —it can be quite challenging in practice. Our patterns of thinking are often deeply entrenched and habitual—and as with any long-standing habit, it can be an arduous process to replace one thought pattern with a new, healthier one. And while clients undergoing CBT will likely not spend a large amount of time exploring their childhood or past, they may still be asked to examine thoughts and behavior patterns that they may find embarrassing or shameful. As in all types of therapy, it is important to work with a therapist with whom one can be open and candid.

CBT integrates behavioral theories and cognitive theories to conclude that the way people perceive a situation determines their reaction more than the actual reality of the situation does. When a person is distressed or discouraged, his or her view of an experience may not be realistic. Changing the way clients think and see the world can change their responses to circumstances.

CBT often targets cognitive distortions , or irrational patterns of thought that can negatively affect behavior. Common cognitive distortions include all-or-nothing thinking (seeing everything in black-and-white terms and ignoring nuance), catastrophizing (always assuming the worst will happen), and personalization (believing that the individual is responsible for everything that happens around them, whether good or bad).

For example, someone who is prone to catastrophizing may assume that a friend who doesn't text them back right away is angry at them, potentially leading them to withdraw socially, lash out at the friend, ruminate, or otherwise behave in a non-productive way. Using CBT, they may learn to recognize their tendency to jump to the worst possible conclusion—and the next time their friend does not return their text, they can remind themselves that the friend has always returned texts in the past and may simply be busy. Such reframing can help someone refrain from engaging in counterproductive behavior.

CBT is rooted in the present, so the therapist will initially ask clients to identify life situations, thoughts, and feelings that cause acute or chronic distress. The therapist will then explore whether or not these thoughts and feelings are productive or even valid. The goal of CBT is to get clients actively involved in their own treatment plan so that they understand that the way to improve their lives is to adjust their thinking and their approach to everyday situations.

CBT is among the most widely-utilized therapeutic approaches, so many people are able to locate a therapist in their area who practices it, but CBT has also been found to be effective when delivered online. There is no particular certification or license required to practice CBT, but clients are advised to look for a credentialed mental health professional with specialized training and experience in cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition to confirming these credentials, it is important to find a therapist with whom one feels comfortable, as CBT is a collaborative process and a strong therapeutic alliance is critical to its success.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Resource type

Therapy tool.

"Should" Statements

Information handouts

Activity Diary (Hourly Time Intervals)

Activity Diary (No Time Intervals)

Activity Menu

Activity Planning

Activity Selection

All-Or-Nothing Thinking

Alternative Action Formulation

An Introduction To CBT (Psychology Tools For Living Well)

Books & Chapters

Anger - Self-Monitoring Record

Anger Decision Sheet

Anger Diary (Archived)

Anger Self-Monitoring Record (Archived)

Anger Thought Challenging Record

Anxiety - Self-Monitoring Record

Anxiety Self-Monitoring Record (Archived)

Arbitrary Inference

Assertive Communication

Assertive Responses

Attention - Self-Monitoring Record

Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Mindfulness

Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Overcoming PTSD

Autonomic Nervous System

Avoidance Hierarchy (Archived)

Before I Blame Myself And Feel Guilty

Behavioral Activation Activity Diary

Behavioral Activation Activity Planning Diary

Behavioral Experiment

Behavioral Experiment (Portrait Format)

Belief Driven Formulation

Belief-O-Meter (CYP)

Boundaries - Self-Monitoring Record

Catastrophizing

Catching Your Thoughts (CYP)

CBT Appraisal Model

CBT Daily Activity Diary With Enjoyment And Mastery Ratings

CBT Thought Record Portrait

Challenging Your Negative Thinking (Archived)

Changing Avoidance (Behavioral Activation)

Checking Certainty And Doubt

Classical Conditioning

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Anorexia Nervosa (Fairburn, Cooper, Shafran, 2003)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD: Veale, 2004)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Bulimia Nervosa (Fairburn, Cooper, Shafran, 2003)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Clinical Perfectionism (Shafran, Cooper, Fairburn, 2002)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Depersonalization (Hunter, Phillips, Chalder, Sierra, David, 2003)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Fear Of Body Sensations

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD: Dugas, Gagnon, Ladouceur, Freeston, 1998)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Health Anxiety (Salkovskis, Warwick, Deale, 2003)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Insomnia (Harvey, 2002)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms (Hebert, Dugas, 2019)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Panic (Clark, 1986)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD: Whalley, Cane, 2017)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD: Ehlers & Clark, 2000)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Social Phobia (Clark, Wells, 1995)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of The Relapse Process (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985)

Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Tinnitus (McKenna, Handscombe, Hoare, Hall, 2014)

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Of Childhood OCD: It's Only A False Alarm: Therapist Guide

Treatments That Work™

Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Childhood OCD: It's Only a False Alarm: Workbook

Cognitive Case Formulation

Cognitive Distortions – Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Common)

Cognitive Distortions – Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Extended)

Compassionate Thought Challenging Record

Core Belief Magnet Metaphor

Court Trial Thought Challenging Record (Archived)

Critical Care And PTSD

Critical Illness Intensive Care And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Cross Sectional Formulation

Daily Monitoring Form

Decatastrophizing

Demanding Standards – Living Well With Your Personal Rules

Depression - Self-Monitoring Record

Discounting In Perfectionism – The Ratchet Effect

Disqualifying Others

Disqualifying The Positive

Dissociation - Self-Monitoring Record

Embracing Uncertainty

Emotional Reasoning

Evaluating Unhelpful Automatic Thoughts

Evaluating Your Demanding Standards

Examining Your Negative Thoughts

Exploring Problems Using A Cross Sectional Model

Exposure And Response (Ritual) Prevention For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Second Edition): Therapist Guide

Exposure And Response Prevention

Exposure Practice Form

Exposure Session Record

Exposures For Fear Of Appearing Anxious

Exposures For Fear Of Body Sensations

Exposures For Fear Of Breathlessness

Exposures For Fear Of Death

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Exposures For Fear Of Illness

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Exposures For Fear Of Uncertainty

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Externalizing

Facing Your Fears (CYP)

Facing Your Fears And Phobias

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Scale Download Primary Link Archived Link
Bern Inventory of Treatment Goals | Grosse, Grawe | 2002 Download Primary Link Archived Link

Cognitive therapy competence / adherence measures

Manual Download Primary Link Archived Link
Manual Download Archived Link
Manual accs-scale.co.uk Download Primary Link
Feedback form accs-scale.co.uk Download Primary Link
Website accs-scale.co.uk Download Primary Link

Case Conceptualization / Case Formulation

Cognitive conceptualisation (excerpt from Basics and Beyond) | J. Beck Download Archived Link
Dysfunctional assumptions ideas Download Primary Link Archived Link
Developing a cognitive formulation | Michael Free Download Primary Link Archived Link
Case formulation in CBT | Caleb Lack Download Primary Link Archived Link
A case formulation approach to cognitive-behavior therapy | Jacqueline Persons | 2015 Download Primary Link Archived Link
The case formulation approach to cognitive behavior therapy | Jacqueline Persons | 2014 Download Primary Link Archived Link

Information (Professional)

Cognitive- behavioural therapy An information guide | Neil Rector | 2010 Download Primary Link Archived Link
A therapist’s guide to brief cognitive behavioral therapy | Cully, Teten | 2008 Download Primary Link Archived Link
Problem solving (OCT Practical Guides | Helen Kennerley | 2016 Download Primary Link Archived Link
Working with Schemas, Core Beliefs, and Assumptions | Frank Wills | 2008 Download Primary Link Archived Link

Presentations

The role of a case conceptualization model and core tasks of intervention | Donald Miechenbaum | 2014 Download Primary Link Archived Link
Transdiagnostic treatments for anxiety disorders | Martin Anthony | 2013 Download Primary Link Archived Link
The unified protocol for the transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders | Ellen Frank, Fiona Ritchey | 2015 Download Primary Link Archived Link
Making CBT Work (Working with your CBT therapist / Making your CBT therapist work with you) | Paul Salkovskis Download Archived Link

Treatment Guide

A manual of cognitive behavior therapy for people with learning disabilities and common mental disorders | Hassiotis, Serfaty, Azam, Martin, Strydom, King | 2012 Download Primary Link Archived Link
CBT case formulation | Jacqueline Persons Download Primary Link

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Assumptions of cbt.

people actively process information;
our appraisals (the way that we think and interpret events) determine how we feel;
dysfunctional thinking and biases in information processing (cognition/thinking) are responsible for the problems that people experience;
different problems are associated with different cognitive themes (cognitive specificity theory): depression is associated with loss and defeat; anxiety is associated with danger and threat; obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with inflated responsibility; substance abuse is associated with permissive beliefs; eating disorders are associated with self-criticism; social anxiety is associated with fear of evaluation; and PTSD is associated with appraisals of immediate threat;
the thoughts that we have can be ‘distorted’ or biased . Common biases include over-generalization, arbitrary inference, selective abstraction, and catastrophizing;
changing how we think and act will impact how we feel: cognition, emotion, and behavior interact in a reciprocal manner;
psychopathology is a result of an interaction between stress and vulnerability;
cognition happens at multiple levels (Alford & Beck, 1997) and all can influence the way that we feel and behave: preconscious, unintentional, automatic (e.g., negative automatic thoughts); the conscious level (e.g., if a patient is asked to explain the meaning of an automatic thought); and the metacognitive level (beliefs about beliefs);
experiences, memories, thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs are encapsulated as ‘schemas’ and which may become activated and influence our perceptions and behaviors.

Principles of CBT

Judith Beck (1995) identified 11 principles of the practice of cognitive behavioral therapy, and these were expanded by Wills (2009):

cognitive behavioral therapists use formulation to focus their therapeutic work
cognitive behavioral therapists use formulation to tackle interpersonal and alliance issues
cognitive behavioral therapy requires a sound therapeutic relationship
cognitive behavioral therapists stress the importance of collaboration in the therapeutic relationship
cognitive behavioral therapy is brief and time-limited
cognitive behavioral therapy is structured and directional
cognitive behavioral therapy is problem- and goal-oriented
cognitive behavioral therapy initially emphasizes a focus on the present
cognitive behavioral therapy uses an educational model
homework and self-practice is a central feature of cognitive behavioral therapy (incorporating the use of CBT worksheets)
cognitive behavioral therapists teach clients to evaluate and modify their thoughts
cognitive behavioral therapy uses various methods to change cognitive content including thought records, behavioral experiments, surveys
cognitive behavior therapy uses a variety of methods to promote behavioral change including exposure, behavioral experiments, role-play.

Procedures and Techniques of CBT

Data gathering and symptom monitoring are used to understand problems and to measure change. CBT is an evidence-based approach that relies upon accurate data gathering regarding symptoms and experiences.
Behavioral activation is a set of techniques for encouraging engagement in meaningful activity and is an effective treatment for depression.
Case formulation is a method for understanding the origin and maintenance of a problem in cognitive and behavioral terms. CBT therapists may use a mixture of cross-sectional formulation to understand difficulties in the here-and-now, longitudinal formulation to understand the origins and precipitants of a problem, and cognitive behavioral models to understand the mechanisms underlying a problem.
Cognitive restructuring describes techniques for changing what we think. It often involves the use of thought records, behavioral experiments, data gathering, or psychoeducation.
Exposure is a technique from behavior therapy that is extensively used by CBT therapists, particularly for the treatment of anxiety. ‘Facing your fears’ is an essential behavioral component of CBT.
Problem solving describes a series of techniques that are often taught as part of a CBT intervention. Effective problem solving helps people to make adaptive choices.
Socratic methods are used by CBT therapists to help their clients explore what they know, and to form their own opinions on a topic. Aaron Beck encouraged the use of Socratic-like technique in his original treatment manual “use questioning rather than disputation and indoctrination … it is important to try to elicit from the patient what he is thinking rather than telling the patient what the therapist believes he is thinking” (Beck et al, 1979).
Alford, B. A., & Beck, A. T. (1997). The relation of psychotherapy integration to the established systems of psychotherapy. Journal of psychotherapy integration , 7 (4), 275-289.
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression . New York: Guilford.
Beck, J. S. (1995). Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond . New York: Guilford.
Wills, F. (2009). Beck’s cognitive therapy . CBT Distinctive Features Series. New York: Routledge.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Types, Techniques, Uses

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy that can be used to treat people with a wide range of mental health problems.

CBT is based on the idea that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion) and how we act (behavior) all interact together. Specifically, our thoughts determine our feelings and our behavior.

Therefore, negative and unrealistic thoughts can cause us distress and result in problems. When a person suffers from psychological distress, how they interpret situations becomes skewed, which, in turn, has a negative impact on the actions they take.

CBT aims to help people become aware of when they make negative interpretations and of behavioral patterns that reinforce distorted thinking.

Cognitive therapy helps people develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving to reduce their psychological distress.

CBT Triangle

The cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) triangle, commonly called the ‘cognitive triangle,’ provides a structured framework to understand the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

It is a foundational element in the study and practice of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Chart explaining how thoughts, emotions, and behavior interrelate in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

The cognitive triangle is a tool used in CBT to demonstrate the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Individuals can identify and avoid harmful patterns by recording and categorizing negative thoughts. While surface emotions might be apparent, deeper underlying emotions can influence reactions.

Addressing these root emotions and modifying thought patterns can lead to positive behavioral changes, aiding in treating mental health issues like anxiety or depression.

Thoughts: Cognitive Processes

Situated at the top of the triangle, thoughts serve as the cognitive foundation. Research indicates that individuals produce thousands of thoughts daily .

Among these, cognitive distortions , or erroneous thinking patterns, can significantly influence one’s perceptions and interpretations. Common distortions include:

All-or-nothing thinking : Viewing situations in binary terms, without considering nuance.
Catastrophizing : Anticipating the most adverse outcomes without empirical justification.
Mind Reading : Presuming to understand others’ thoughts without direct evidence.
Emotional reasoning : Basing conclusions on emotions rather than objective data.
Labeling : Characterizing oneself or others based on a singular trait or event.
Personalization : Attributing external events to oneself without a clear causal link.

Intrusive thoughts , which can hinder daily functioning, are common, as evidenced by their mention by therapists. Many people experience them, suggesting these thoughts might arise from inherent brain patterns rather than facts.

In CBT, challenging these thoughts is essential, and with practice, the brain can reprogram its default thinking patterns.

The cognitive therapist teaches clients how to identify distorted cognitions through a process of evaluation. The clients learn to discriminate between their own thoughts and reality. They learn the influence that cognition has on their feelings, and they are taught to recognize, observe, and monitor their own thoughts.

The behavior part of the therapy involves setting homework for the client to do (e.g., keeping a diary of thoughts). The therapist gives the client tasks to help them challenge their irrational beliefs.

The idea is that the client identifies their unhelpful beliefs and then proves them wrong. As a result, their beliefs begin to change.

Feelings: Emotional Responses

Feelings are emotional responses that influence our communication, reactions, and decisions.

While they can motivate positive actions, such as waking up energized and preparing breakfast, they can also lead to negative behaviors if not addressed appropriately, like suppressing anger or resorting to substance abuse.

Recognizing and healthily expressing these feelings is crucial for emotional well-being. Dismissing or ridiculing them is counterproductive.

Emotions are best managed through acceptance; understanding and validation can alleviate emotional intensity. Though originating in the brain, feelings manifest in the body, alerting us to potential issues or affirming positive situations.

To establish a healthy relationship with emotions, it’s vital to accept and validate them. This process can reduce their overpowering nature.

When managing challenging feelings, it’s essential to acknowledge them, seek balance, and, if persistent, examine underlying thoughts that might reinforce them.

Behaviors: Observable Actions

Behaviors are responses to stimuli and are influenced by thoughts and feelings. They can indicate an individual’s emotions, especially when not verbally expressed.

For instance, becoming an overly protective parent can be a behavior stemming from certain thoughts and feelings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can modify behaviors using techniques like behavioral activation , which aims to increase engagement in positive activities, and gradual exposure , which systematically introduces individuals to feared or avoided situations in a controlled manner.

For example, someone anxious in social situations may set a homework assignment to meet a friend at the pub for a drink.

Over time, these methods help individuals confront and alter negative patterns, promoting healthier behaviors and responses.

General Assumptions

The cognitive approach believes that mental illness stems from faulty cognitions about others, our world, and us. This faulty thinking may be through cognitive deficiencies (lack of planning) or cognitive distortions (processing information inaccurately).
These cognitions cause distortions in how we see things; Ellis suggested it is through irrational thinking, while Beck proposed the cognitive triad.
We interact with the world through our mental representation of it. If our mental representations are inaccurate or our ways of reasoning are inadequate, our emotions and behavior may become disordered.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is, in fact, an umbrella term for many different therapies that share some common elements.

Two of the earliest forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy were Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy ( REBT ), developed by Albert Ellis in the 1950s, and Cognitive Therapy, developed by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a type of cognitive therapy first used by Albert Ellis, focusing on resolving emotional and behavioral problems.

The goal of this therapy is to change irrational beliefs to more rational ones.

REBT encourages people to identify their general and irrational beliefs (e.g., ‘I must be perfect’) and subsequently persuades them to challenge these false beliefs through reality testing.

Albert Ellis (1957, 1962) proposes that each of us holds a unique set of assumptions about ourselves and our world that guide us through life and determine our reactions to the various situations we encounter.

Unfortunately, some people’s assumptions are largely irrational, guiding them to act and react in inappropriate ways that prejudice their chances of happiness and success. Albert Ellis calls these basic irrational assumptions .

Some people irrationally assume they are failures if they are not loved by everyone they know – they constantly seek approval and repeatedly feel rejected. All their interactions are affected by this assumption so that a great party can leave them dissatisfied because they don’t get enough compliments.

According to Ellis, these are other common irrational assumptions :

The idea that one should be thoroughly competent at everything.
The idea that it is catastrophic when things are not the way you want them to be.
The idea that people have no control over their happiness.
The idea that you need someone stronger than yourself to depend on.
The idea that your history greatly influences your present life.
The idea that there is a perfect solution to human problems, and it’s a disaster if you don’t find it.

Ellis believes that people often forcefully hold on to this illogical way of thinking and therefore employ highly emotive techniques to help them vigorously and forcefully change this irrational thinking.

The ABC Model

A major aid in cognitive therapy is what Albert Ellis (1957) called the ABC Technique of Irrational Beliefs .

The first three steps analyze the process by which a person has developed irrational beliefs and may be recorded in a three-column table.

Albert Ellis’ ABC Model in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A – Activating Event or objective situation. The first column records the objective situation, that is, an event that ultimately leads to some type of high emotional response or negative dysfunctional thinking.
B – Beliefs. In the second column, the client writes down the negative thoughts that occurred to them.
C – Consequence. The third column is for the negative feelings and dysfunctional behaviors that ensued. The negative thoughts of the second column are seen as a connecting bridge between the situation and the distressing feelings. The third column, C, is next explained by describing emotions or negative thoughts that the client thinks are caused by A. This could be anger, sorrow, anxiety, etc.

Ellis believes that it is not the activating event ( A ) that causes negative emotional and behavioral consequences ( C ) but rather that a person interprets these events unrealistically and therefore has an irrational belief system ( B ) that helps cause the consequences ( C ).

REBT Example

Gina is upset because she got a low mark on a math test. The Activating event, A, is that she failed her test. The Belief, B, is that she must have good grades or she is worthless. The Consequence, C, is that Gina feels depressed.

After identifying irrational beliefs, the therapist will often work with the client in challenging the negative thoughts based on evidence from the client’s experience by reframing it, meaning to re-interpret it in a more realistic light. This helps the client to develop more rational beliefs and healthy coping strategies.

A therapist would help Gina realize that there is no evidence that she must have good grades to be worthwhile or that getting bad grades is awful. She desires good grades, and it would be good to have them, but it hardly makes her worthless.

If she realizes that getting bad grades is disappointing but not awful and that it means she is currently bad at math or studying but not as a person, she will feel sad or frustrated but not depressed.

The sadness and frustration are likely healthy negative emotions and may lead her to study harder from then on.

Critical Evaluation

Rational emotive behavior therapists have cited many studies in support of this approach. Most early studies were conducted on people with experimentally induced anxieties or non-clinical problems such as mild fear of snakes (Kendall & Kriss, 1983).

However, several recent studies have been done on actual clinical subjects and have also found that rational emotive behavior therapy ( REBT ) is often helpful (Lyons & Woods 1991).

Cognitive Therapy

Aaron Beck’s (1967) therapy system is similar to Ellis’s but has been most widely used in cases of depression . Cognitive therapists help clients to recognize the negative thoughts and errors in logic that cause them to be depressed.

The therapist also guides clients to question and challenge their dysfunctional thoughts, try out new interpretations, and ultimately apply alternative ways of thinking in their daily lives.

Aaron Beck believes that a person’s reaction to specific upsetting thoughts may contribute to abnormality. As we confront the many situations that arise in life, both comforting and upsetting thoughts come into our heads. Beck calls these unbidden cognitions automatic thoughts.

When a person’s stream of automatic thoughts is very negative, you would expect a person to become depressed (e.g., ‘I’m never going to get this essay finished, my girlfriend fancies my best friend, I’m getting fat, I have no money, my parents hate me – have you ever felt like this?’).

Quite often, these negative thoughts will persist despite contrary evidence.

Beck (1967) identified three mechanisms that he thought were responsible for depression:

The cognitive triad (of automatic negative thinking)
Negative self-schemas
Errors in Logic (i.e., faulty information processing)

The Cognitive Triad

The cognitive triad is three forms of negative (i.e., helpless and critical) thinking that are typical of individuals with depression: namely, negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future.

These thoughts tended to be automatic in depressed people as they occurred spontaneously.

As these three components interact, they interfere with normal cognitive processing, leading to impairments in perception, memory, and problem-solving, with the person becoming obsessed with negative thoughts.

Negative Self-Schemas

Beck believed that depression-prone individuals develop a negative self-schema.

They possess a set of beliefs and expectations about themselves that are essentially negative and pessimistic.

Beck claimed that negative schemas might be acquired in childhood due to a traumatic event. Experiences that might contribute to negative schemas include:

Death of a parent or sibling.
Parental rejection, criticism, overprotection, neglect, or abuse.
Bullying at school or exclusion from a peer group.

People with negative self-schemas become prone to making logical errors in their thinking, and they tend to focus selectively on certain aspects of a situation while ignoring equally relevant information.

Cognitive Distortions

Beck (1967) identifies several illogical thinking processes (i.e., distortions of thought processes ). These illogical thought patterns are self-defeating and can cause great anxiety or depression for the individual.

Arbitrary interference : Drawing conclusions on the basis of sufficient or irrelevant evidence: for example, thinking you are worthless because an open-air concert you were going to see has been rained off.
Selective abstraction : Focusing on a single aspect of a situation and ignoring others: E.g., you feel responsible for your team losing a football match even though you are just one of the players on the field.
Magnification : exaggerating the importance of undesirable events. E.g., if you scrape a bit of paintwork on your car and, therefore, see yourself as a totally awful driver.
Minimization : underplaying the significance of an event. E.g., you get praised by your teachers for an excellent term’s work, but you see this as trivial.
Overgeneralization : drawing broad negative conclusions on the basis of a single insignificant event. E.g., you get a D for an exam when you normally get straight As and you, therefore, think you are stupid.
Personalization : Attributing the negative feelings of others to yourself. E.g., your teacher looks really cross when he comes into the room, so he must be cross with you.

Butler and Beck (2000) reviewed 14 meta-analyses investigating the effectiveness of Beck’s cognitive therapy and concluded that about 80% of adults benefited from the therapy.

It was also found that the therapy was more successful than drug therapy and had a lower relapse rate, supporting the proposition that depression has a cognitive basis.

This suggests that knowledge of the cognitive explanation can improve the quality of people’s lives.

REBT Vs. Cognitive Therapy

Albert Ellis views the therapist as a teacher and does not think that a warm personal relationship with a client is essential. In contrast, Beck stresses the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
REBT is often highly directive, persuasive, and confronting. Beck places more emphasis on the client discovering misconceptions for themselves.
REBT uses different methods depending on the client’s personality; in Beck’s cognitive therapy, the method is based on the particular disorder.

Strengths of CBT

Model has great appeal because it focuses on human thought. Human cognitive abilities have been responsible for our many accomplishments, so they may also be responsible for our problems.
Cognitive theories lend themselves to testing. When experimental subjects are manipulated into adopting unpleasant assumptions or thoughts, they become more anxious and depressed (Rimm & Litvak, 1969).
Many people with psychological disorders, particularly depressive, anxiety, and sexual disorders, have been found to display maladaptive assumptions and thoughts (Beck et al., 1983).
Cognitive therapy has been very effective in treating depression (Hollon & Beck, 1994) and moderately effective for anxiety problems (Beck, 1993).

Limitations of CBT

Lewinsohn (1981) studied a group of participants before they became depressed and found that those who later became depressed were no more likely to have negative thoughts than those who did not develop depression.

This suggests that hopeless and negative thinking may result from depression rather than the cause of it.

The cognitive model is narrow in scope: Thinking is just one part of human functioning, and broader issues need to be addressed.
Ethical issues : RET is a directive therapy aimed at changing cognitions, sometimes quite forcefully. For some, this may be considered an unethical approach.

Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Causes and treatment . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., & Harrison, R. (1983). Cognitions, attitudes and personality dimensions in depression. British Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

Beck, A. T, & Steer, R. A. (1993). Beck Anxiety Inventory Manual . San Antonio: Harcourt Brace and Company.

Butler, A. C., & Beck, J. S. (2000). Cognitive therapy outcomes: A review of meta-analyses. Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association , 37, 1-9.

Cuijpers, P., Miguel, C., Harrer, M., Plessen, C. Y., Ciharova, M., Ebert, D., & Karyotaki, E. (2023). Cognitive behavior therapy vs. control conditions, other psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies and combined treatment for depression: a comprehensive meta‐analysis including 409 trials with 52,702 patients. World Psychiatry , 22 (1), 105-115.

Dobson, K. S., & Block, L. (1988). Historical and philosophical bases of cognitive behavioral theories. Handbook of Cognitive behavioral Therapies. Guilford Press, London.

Ellis, A. (1957). Rational Psychotherapy and Individual Psychology. Journal of Individual Psychology , 13: 38-44.

Ellis, A. (1962). Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy . New York: Stuart.

Hollon, S. D., & Beck, A. T. (1994). Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies. In A. E. Bergin & S.L. Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (pp. 428—466). New York: Wiley.

Kendall, P. C., & Kriss, M. R. (1983). Cognitive-behavioral interventions. In: C. E. Walker, ed. The handbook of clinical psychology: theory, research and practice, pp. 770–819. Homewood, IL: Dow Jones-Irwin.

Lewinsohn, P. M., Steinmetz, J. L., Larson, D. W., & Franklin, J. (1981). Depression-related cognitions: antecedent or consequence?. Journal of abnormal psychology , 90(3), 213.

Lyons, L. C., & Woods, P. J. (1991). The efficacy of rational-emotive therapy: A quantitative review of the outcome research. Clinical Psychology Review , 11(4), 357-369.

Rimm, D. C., & Litvak, S. B. (1969). Self-verbalization and emotional arousal. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 74(2) , 181.

Further Information

BounceBack® – a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive and behavioral therapies
An Overview of Psychopathology
An appraisal of rational-emotive therapy Making sense of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)

What is the main difference between CBT and DBT?

The main difference between CBT and DBT is CBT focuses on challenging negative thought patterns, while DBT emphasizes acceptance and change, offering skills for emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and mindfulness.

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CBT Coping Skills and Strategies

Akeem Marsh, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has dedicated his career to working with medically underserved communities.

How CBT Works

Diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, self-monitoring, behavioral activation, listing pros and cons, cognitive restructuring, setting and managing goals.

CBT coping skills involve dealing with negative emotions in a healthy way. They provide strategies for getting through difficult situations with less tension, anxiety, depression , and stress.

CBT coping skills help you deal with uncomfortable emotions (anxiety, depression, etc.) so you can feel better physically, make better decisions, and more. These cognitive strategies are especially beneficial for individuals with certain mental health conditions, such as by helping reduce symptoms in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Before discussing specific cognitive coping strategies, it's important to first understand how CBT works. This gives some insight into how the various CBT coping skills can help relieve anxiety, sadness, and other distressing emotions.

Tom M Johnson / Blend Images / Getty Images

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that psychological problems arise as a result of the way in which we interpret or evaluate situations, thoughts, and feelings. When these interpretations and evaluations are negative, it can lead to unhealthy behaviors.

CBT works by changing unhealthy behavioral patterns by changing the interpretations that lead to them. It also teaches you the skills and cognitive strategies needed to better cope with whatever life throws your way. Here are a few CBT coping skills that have this result.

Diaphragmatic breathing, also called breathing retraining or deep breathing , is a basic cognitive coping strategy for managing anxiety. It is a simple technique but can be very powerful.

Diaphragmatic breathing involves pulling your diaphragm down while taking a deep breath in. You should see your abdominal area rise with each breath, which is why it is sometimes referred to as "belly breathing."

Relaxation exercises can be an effective way to reduce your stress and anxiety. One such exercise is called progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and involves alternating between tensing and relaxing different muscle groups throughout the body.

With PMR, complete muscle relaxation is obtained by first going to the other extreme (that is, by tensing your muscles). In addition, by tensing your muscles—a common anxiety symptom —and immediately relaxing them, over time, the symptom of muscle tension may become a signal to relax.

Self-monitoring is another basic CBT coping skill. To a large extent, is at the core of all the cognitive-behavioral coping strategies described here.

In order to address a problem or a symptom, we need to first become aware of it. Self-monitoring can help with this. With this awareness, we can then take action to regulate our behaviors so we have more positive outcomes.

When people feel depressed or anxious, they may be less likely to do the things they enjoy. Therefore, it is important to learn how to be more active. Behavioral activation is a CBT coping skill that helps with this.

The goal of behavioral activation is simple. Get more active in areas of your life that you find pleasurable and enjoyable. Being more involved with and engaged in these experiences works by improving your mood.

When faced with a decision, we can sometimes feel paralyzed or trapped. If this occurs, we may not know the best choice.

One way to move forward in situations such as this is to weigh the short- and long-term pros and cons of a situation. This cognitive coping strategy can help us identify the best path to take—that is, a path that is associated with less risk and is consistent with our goals and priorities.

Cognitive restructuring is a common CBT coping skill. How we evaluate and think about ourselves, other people, and events can have a major impact on our mood. This cognitive strategy focuses on identifying negative thoughts or evaluations and modifying them.

Cognitive restructuring involves gathering evidence about certain thoughts, recognizing how they may be misinterpreted or distorted, then replacing them with more positive affirmations. By modifying our thoughts, we can improve mood and make better choices with regard to our behaviors.

Goals (or things that you want to accomplish in the future) can give your life purpose and direction, as well as motivate healthy behaviors focused on improving your life. However, they can also be very overwhelming and a source of stress. Because of this, you want to be careful when setting goals .

This CBT coping skill involves approaching your goals in a way that improves your mood and quality of life as opposed to increasing distress. This could be by setting smaller goals versus bigger ones, for instance, or breaking larger goals down into more manageable chunks.

A Word From Verywell

CBT coping skills can help you better handle and manage difficult emotions and situations. They work by changing how you interpret feelings and events. You can use CBT coping skills for anxiety, stress , depression, and more—providing some much-needed relief.

Frequently Asked Questions

CBT coping skills teach you how to better deal with difficult situations, such as how to relax your body (so your mind can also relax), also changing how you look at circumstances and events so you have more positivity. These processes use the same types of strategies like those used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Regularly practicing cognitive coping strategies such as these can help improve your skills. It can also be beneficial to work with a mental health professional as they can focus directly on improving your CBT coping skills in the therapy session. Taking care of your physical health, such as through a healthy diet and exercise, can also help improve your cognitive health.

CBT coping skills such as cognitive restructuring can help change thought patterns that lead to anxiety. Other skills, like diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, help relax your body when in an anxious state, thereby reducing your feelings of anxiousness.

American Psychological Association. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) .

Fenn K, Byrne M. The key principles of cognitive behavioural therapy . InnovAiT. 2013;6(9):579-585. doi:10.1177/1755738012471029

Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al. The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults . Front Psychol . 2017;8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

Safi SZ. A fresh look at the potential mechanisms of progressive muscle relaxation therapy on depression in female patients with multiple sclerosis . Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci . 2015;9(1):e340. doi:10.17795/ijpbs340

Hirano M, Ogura K, Kitahara M, Sakamoto D, Shimoyama H. Designing behavioral self-regulation application for preventive personal mental healthcare . Health Psychol Open . 2017;4(1):2055102917707185. doi:10.1177/2055102917707185

Hirayama T, Ogawa Y, Yanai Y, Suzuki SI, Shimizu K. Behavioral activation therapy for depression and anxiety in cancer patients: a case series study . Biopsychosoc Med . 2019;13:9.doi:10.1186/s13030-019-0151-6

National Institute on Aging. Cognitive health and older adults .

By Matthew Tull, PhD Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder.

CBT Explained: An Overview & Summary of CBT (Incl. History)

With a deeper understanding of personal cognition and its relationship to behavior, people can change their lives through changing the way they think.

Increasing mindfulness with regard to conscious thought and interrupting automatic negative thoughts can lead people into a healthier outlook and better understanding of their power over their future reactions.

This therapy has been proven effective in preventing relapse in patients with depression and anxiety. It has also been proven to aid patients with a variety of other psychological problems.

Educating patients with the techniques and strategies of this approach will help them in handling future situations. Equipping patients with these tools give CBT the power for self-motivated emotional and psychological healing.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with a detailed insight into Positive CBT and will give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

What is cognitive behavioral therapy, an overview and summary of cbt, a look at the psychology, key concepts and principles of the approach, common therapy techniques used, the pros and cons, the history of cbt, the founders and pioneers, a closer look at aaron beck, a take-home message.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be defined as the intentional combination of demonstrated readiness and methodological rigor of behavioral procedures with the cognitive-behavioral processes that influence adjustment (Benjamin et al., 2011). In other words, CBT is utilizing the accurate understanding of our thoughts to purposefully change reactions and behaviors. Our internal thoughts are viewed as mechanisms for change.

This type of therapy is a short-term, goal oriented form of treatment that can be thought of as a combination of behavioral therapy and psychotherapy. The treatment takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. Psychotherapy focuses on the personal meaning of thought patterns that are believed to have developed in childhood. Behavioral therapy emphasizes the close relationship between personal problems, behavior, and thoughts.

CBT is a way of focusing on the cognitive processes that produce feelings. The approach helps by changing people’s behavior and attitudes with a deeper understanding of thoughts, images, beliefs, and attitudes. The treatment is customized for each patient with regard to differences in personalities and specific needs. CBT can be viewed as an umbrella term for many different forms of therapies aimed at correcting dysfunctional cognition and maladaptive behaviors.

Attitudes grooved in neural pathways during childhood become automatic thoughts. The thoughts resulting in disruption in daily life are negative thoughts around situations that created them.

CBT allows patients to interrupt these thoughts with a deeper understanding of the errors or distortions in the perception of these automatic thoughts. This type of therapy helps patients to correct misinterpretations of the thoughts that have caused disruption in their daily lives.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is utilized in treating multiple types of psychiatric problems . The treatment is typically done between 3 and 6 months, depending on the problem. The following is a list of psychological problems where CBT has been utilized.

eating disorders
anger management
marital crisis
obsessive-compulsive disorder
schizophrenia
post-traumatic stress disorder
chronic pain

There are 5 five areas that are believed to be interconnected and affecting one another. For instance, how one feels about a certain situation can cause physical and emotional feelings, resulting in varying behaviors in response.

physical feelings

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There is a great deal of overlap in the concepts of positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy (Karwoski, Garratt, & Ilardi, 2006). Both approaches see the interaction between client and provider as collaborative. Here are other areas where the conceptual principles overlap .

Strong Therapeutic Alliance
Cognitive reappraisal
Focus on decisive goals
Focus is on the here and now

While positive psychology has developed intervention techniques derived from other therapeutic approaches, several interventions overlap with techniques of CBT.

Scheduling of pleasant activities
Identifying and reviewing successes
Monitoring of mood
Relaxation training
Training in problem-solving

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, like other therapies, focuses on reducing the presence of negative emotions. Positive psychology can be presented as the catalyst that CBT needs to endure as a formidable treatment for psychological problems. The reduction of negative emotions does not create the presence of positive emotions .

Introducing positive psychology interventions in addition to reducing negative emotions with CBT has proven to be an effective way to reduce rates of relapse in depressed patients.

While CBT has been proven through various meta-analyses to be an effective treatment for various psychological disorders, it continues to be highly unavailable to those who would most benefit from its introduction (Shafran et al., 2009).

For instance, those suffering from PTSD are most frequently being given supportive counseling, as opposed to the long-term effective strategies provided by cognitive behavioral therapy. There is a widespread lack of training for providers in this type of therapy as well.

There is a gap between research trials and clinical practice. It has much to do with the belief that participants in the trials are suffering from less severe cases of psychological disorders. More and more evidence is being presented for the case that CBT is effective in more severe cases, however. With the increased availability of appropriate training and effective presentation of the techniques, a wider patient base may be reached.

An additional gap in the usage of CBT is within the area of sport psychology (McArdle & Moore, 2012). A strong case can be made for the introduction of the skills of this therapy to athletes. Unthreading negative self-thoughts can, in turn, produce the outcome of improved sports performance.

The patient’s active participation in therapy is a key principle in CBT. Without it, this goal-oriented and problem focused approach would not be effective. Sessions in CBT are well structured and the client’s better understanding of the role of cognition in correcting behavioral dysfunctions is paramount to their success. This educative approach allows the client-therapist relationship to deepen, which is also an important principle in this therapy.

CBT is a time limited approach, and work outside of the therapy office is vital to success. While this approach is initially present focused, an emphasis on adaptive thinking allows for relapse prevention. It allows the patient to be taught techniques to change their thinking, mood, and behavior with the understanding that they will be utilized in their future.

In cognitive behavior therapy, psychological problems are believed to develop through the use of cognitive distortions . Aaron Beck’s work suggests that by correcting these distortions, a more accurate experience of events is created. Through this work, a patient is better able to develop skills to properly process exposure to life events.

Here is a list of Cognitive Distortions (Burns, 1980).

Personalization means the attribution of the negative feelings of others and the world around them. For instance, a gymnastics coach is cross, so a gymnast automatically feels it is her fault.
Fallacy of change is assuming that other people will change to suit them if pressured enough. This is a common distortion found in relationships. For instance, a woman feeling that if her partner improved himself, she would be happier.
Emotional reasoning is the distortion that occurs when feelings are considered as facts. For example saying, “I feel that way, it must be true.”
Fallacy of Fairness is a distortion that measures all things by an imaginary ruler of fairness. A person may feel resentful because they feel that they have a clear definition of fairness, but that others might not agree with them.
Polarization or “Black and White” Thinking is a distortion that occurs when things are all or nothing. Someone might believe they have to be perfect, or they are a failure.
Overgeneralization means coming to broad negative conclusions based on a single, insignificant event. An example would be telling yourself you’re a terrible baker based on failing at one recipe attempt.
Control fallacies are distortions in which a person would feel that everything that happens to you is a result of external actions or of their own behavior. For instance, believing that your work is not good because you’re dealing with disruptive coworkers.
Jumping to Conclusions is a distortion that occurs when assumptions about another’s feelings or beliefs are made. An example might be a child feeling that they know how someone else feels about them. It can also be described as perceived mind reading.
Catastrophizing is a distortion that assumes the expectation that the worst is going to happen. An example is believing that a small error at work is going to result in you being fired.
Always Being Right is a distortion that occurs when the person is always putting others on trial to prove their opinions are absolutely correct.
Filtering is a distortion that includes both Minimization and Magnification . Minimization means underplaying the significance of an event. For instance, you are praised for your job performance, but you see it as trivial. Magnification means exaggerating the importance of an undesirable event. For instance, allowing getting cut off by another driver as the impetus to ruin your entire day. Filtering also includes selective abstraction. This is focusing on a single aspect of a situation and ignoring others.
Blaming occurs when a person holds someone else responsible for their emotional pain, or hold themselves responsible for every problem.
Global labeling is a distortion that occurs when a person generalizes single qualities into a global judgment. For instance, “I failed a test, therefore I’m stupid.”
Heaven’s Reward Fallacy is the distortion that self-sacrifice will eventually pay off.
Shoulds are distortions that occur when a person has hard set rules about how every person should behave. An example would be saying, “I should work out. I shouldn’t be so lazy.” The resulting emotional consequence is guilt.

Regardless of whether one practices CBT alone or with a therapist, applying the techniques in real-life situations is key to long-term effectiveness and a reduction of symptoms of psychological problems.

It’s for this reason that CBT therapists are increasingly adopting a blended care approach to conducting CBT that encourages clients to practice interventions in the course of their daily lives with the aid of portable technologies.

For example, using the e-therapy platform Quenza (pictured here), a CBT therapist can assign their client meditations, reflection exercises, and a range of other activities which clients can complete on the go via their smartphone or tablet.

Some of the most common CBT therapists will assign are highlighted here.

Albert Ellis developed the ABC technique that is still utilized in CBT today. The ABC Technique of Irrational Beliefs analyzes the first three steps in which someone might develop an irrational belief: A) Activating event B) Belief C) Consequences (Oltean, Hyland, Vallières, & David, 2017).

Activating Event. This is an event that would lead someone to a type of high emotional response, and/ or negative dysfunctional thinking.
Beliefs. The client would write down the negative thoughts that occurred to them around the activating event.
Consequences. These are the negative feelings and behaviors that occurred as a result. The beliefs are to be viewed as a bridge to the negative feelings and behaviors that occurred as a result of the activating event.

Ellis believed that it was not the activating event (A) that causes the negative beliefs and consequences (C), but rather how the patient interprets or misinterprets the meaning of the event (B) that helps cause the consequences (C).

Helping a patient reinterpret their irrational belief system helps to forge new ways for them to interpret their beliefs resulting in alternative behaviors. A person can utilize this technique, even in the absence of a therapist.

Journaling for the awareness of cognitive distortions is a powerful way to better understand personal cognition. A person keeps track of their automatic thoughts and an analysis of the presence of various distortions is detected.

Once better understood, a person can utilize different methods to reevaluate these automatic thoughts with evidence. Well trained practitioners in CBT can aid someone who has difficulty in unraveling these distortions.

Rescripting is a technique used to help patients suffering from nightmares (Davis & Wright, 2006). When the emotion that is brought to the surface from the nightmare is exposed, a therapist can help the patient to redefine the emotion desired and to develop a new image to elicit that emotion.

Exposure therapy is used in OCD and anxiety phobias. Exposing yourself to the trigger reduces the response to the trigger. Many therapists recommend mild exposure 3 times daily. While this may be uncomfortable during the first exposures, the increase in exposure reduces phobic reactions.

The Worst Case/ Best Case/Most Likely Case Scenario technique is used to help people overcome fear or anxiety. Allowing the brain to ruminate to the point of ridiculousness allows the person to “play out” the fear to an unrealistic end. Then the person is brought to the best case and again allowed to let their thoughts “play out” to the ridiculous. Then, a most likely scenario is explored with actionable steps attached, so that control over behavior is realized.

A recent, popular technique being utilized in CBT is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy . It differs from traditional CBT in that it is not trying to teach people to better control their thoughts around their activating events; instead this approach is teaching people to “just notice,” accept and embrace the feelings around the activating events. This approach utilizes techniques from CBT as well, but ACT focuses on freeing the patient from the grip of the event itself.

Mindfulness techniques like deep breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) play a big role in CBT. These techniques allow the person to be present in the moment and calmly soothe the unfocused mind. With the relaxation comes the stronger ability to tune in and alter automatic negative thoughts.

Cognitive restructuring is a CBT technique that helps people examine their unhelpful thinking. It helps them to redevelop ways to react in situations that have in the past proven problematic. Keeping a daily record of the automatic negative thoughts creates a way to find the patterns in these thoughts. With an identified pattern, alternative reactions and adaptive thoughts can be forged.

Treating thoughts as guesses is a technique that helps to gather evidence to combat automatic negative thoughts. When a person takes their thoughts to “court” proof of truth must be found for the thought to be held as accurate. If any proof against the thought is found, it must be tossed and replaced with a more accurate thought.

A cognitive pie chart is a fun way for kids to utilize CBT . The first step is identifying the automatic negative thoughts. For example, “I’m dumb because I failed a test.” Step two is devising a list of alternative explanations to those ANTs. Finding as many alternatives as possible is helpful. The third step is giving each explanation a percentage in the contribution to the outcome of failing the test. Step four is placing these explanations in a pie chart.

Activity Scheduling is a powerful technique in CBT. It helps people engage in activities that they are not normally used to doing. It presents as a way to slowly reintroduce rewarding behavior that has been excluded from people’s routines. The technique is helpful in increasing positive emotion when performed incrementally.

Graded exposure is a technique used to help expose anxiety sufferers to contact with what is feared. The underlying theory is that people who avoid situations that induce fear or anxiety will increase the anxiety. The slowly increased exposure aids to decrease that fear.

Many deficits in social skills can be improved through CBT techniques. Modeling, role playing, and instruction can be used to increase social skills like communication and assertiveness. Communication skills, or rather the lack of, are a massive obstacle for many. Improving these skills bolsters confidence and abilities to interact with others, dramatically reducing levels of anxiety inducing situations.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the approach of CBT. Like any therapy, there is always a risk of a negative emotion returning. Let’s have a look at what’s good, and what could hold progress back in treatment.

Here is a list of pros:

Compared to other “talking” therapies, CBT can be completed in a relatively short period of time.
Can be helpful in treating some mental health disorders where medication alone has not helped improve symptoms.
In order to make changes in how you feel, CBT focuses on altering thoughts and behaviors.
Strategies are helpful and practical. They can help people cope with future stresses.
Can improve the quality of life.
It can be provided in a variety of formats including in-person, online, or workbooks . It can even be useful in a group setting.
It can be used in almost any age group.
It may improve emotional processing (Baker et al., 2011)

Here is a list of cons:

The patient has to be committed to the process. There is no magic wand that a therapist might wave to make a patient’s problems go away.
A drawback might be that the individual’s needs are met through the therapy, but a patient’s environment (family, interactions), that might have a significant impact on the patient’s well-being, is not addressed.
CBT could prove more difficult for people suffering from severe mental health difficulties or those with a learning disability.
As CBT addresses the sources of anxiety or other stress causing emotions, the initial exposure to this type of treatment could prove uncomfortable.
This treatment does not fully address possible underlying causes of negative emotions, as it focuses on the present problems.
Doing the work in real life takes time.

The evolution of cognitive behavioral therapy can be traced back to developments in psychology as early as 1913. The work of behaviorist John B. Watson (1913) laid the foundation for later advancement in the field.

Behaviorism is the theory of learning on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. This conditioning happens when people interact with their environment, cueing signals to shape their actions. BF Skinner’s conditioning theories also had foundational influence over the development of cognitive behavioral therapy (Bjork, 1997).

Before cognitive behavioral therapy, there was an approach called behavior therapy that was controversial at the time of its development. One of the first treatments in this approach was done with youth and the correction of enuresis (bed-wetting; Bolla, Sartore, & Correale, 1938). Initial respondent conditioning strategies for better understanding anxiety were also vital in creating theories behind CBT. Extinction, habituation, and counter conditioning were all discovered with respondent conditioning.

Operant learning theory also played a large role in behavioral therapy and childhood CBT development. Out of this theory developed positive and negative reinforcement in children’s development. The deeper understanding of the cognition behind behavior contributed to the deeper understanding of their use in CBT.

In the 1950s, Albert Ellis practiced Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. The goal was to help patients identify their irrational thoughts. Through this identification, encouragement for the challenge of the thought and a shift to a more rational one would be made. The therapy was thought to give patients a more rational view of the world and their place in it.

The practice of cognitive behavioral therapy was first developed in the 1960s. Dr. Aaron T. Beck at the University of Pennsylvania designed and carried out experiments to test psychoanalytic concepts and found some surprising results. What he found was that in depressed patients, there were consistent instances of a stream of negative thoughts that seemed to emanate spontaneously.

Dr. Beck categorized these automatic negative thoughts into three categories. The patients were having negative ideas about themselves, the world, and/ or the future. With these findings, he began to theorize alternative ways of viewing depression.

The theory of cognitive distortions by Beck and the theory of irrational thinking by Dr. Albert Ellis helped to better explain psychological problems. Beck theorized that in childhood, the development of maladaptive processes led to these problems. His theory was based around the cognitive triad. Dr. Ellis’s theory was based around a set of defined irrational beliefs, also known as common irrational assumptions.

With his approach, Dr. Beck began to help his patients reevaluate their thoughts about themselves. He found that by doing so, his patients were developing a better resilience for handling daily functions of life. Patients found that this therapy resulted in long-lasting change.

The efficacy of this therapy has been examined in many meta-analyses (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006). Since its introduction, it has grown into a viable treatment modality for a variety of mental health problems. There are therapists who now specialize in this therapeutic approach.

The practice of CBT grew in the mid-1970s to aid in the treatment of higher functioning patients. This transition did not happen automatically, but rather through the trial and error and the development in areas of behavioral therapy and a better understanding of emotional self-control.

As the practice of CBT became stronger over time, new expansions and developments in the field began to emerge. The Tripartite Model (Clark & Watson, 1991) is one of these developments. This model proposes that there is a significant overlap in the negative affect presented in patients with depression and anxiety.

Barlow’s triple vulnerability model of emotional disorders has further expanded work in CBT (Ranjbari, Karimi, Mohammadi, & Norouzi, 2018). The model focuses on children’s perception of control over their environments. In this approach, parents are trained to help children better understand and function in their environments.

The wealth of knowledge of CBT and its application with children is shown throughout psychology. the efficacy of treatment in children and adolescents is far-reaching. This type of therapy helps kids better understand their environment and their role in mastering it.

A new “third” wave of CBT is developing, as a result of various empirical studies failing to prove the hypotheses developed around the efficacy of CBT (Gaudiano, 2008). The shift is within the language of cognition. The approach is acceptance-based strategies. The theory places less stress on altering the cognitive distortions, as the alteration may not be deemed necessary.

With an acceptance-based strategy, the patient is becoming aware of the distortion without trying to control it. The focus is rather on the commitment to the change in behavior.

Cognitive behavioral therapy exercises (FEEL BETTER!)

Development of cognitive behavioral therapy progressed over time. Dr. Albert Ellis was a pioneer in behavior therapy in the 1950s. His work with irrational thinking was foundational in the development of CBT. His ABC technique of Irrational Beliefs is still utilized in CBT today.

The work of Joseph Wolpe and Arnold Lazarus in the 1960s also contributed to the evolution of CBT. Their work in behavior therapy techniques to reduce neuroses is foundational. Their theory of systematic desensitization led to the development of many of the techniques still utilized in this approach today.

Dr. Aaron Beck is the founding father of the cognitive behavior therapy movement. His work began as a clinician in the 1960s. His approach to psychotherapy at that time was radical and groundbreaking. Scientific evidence for his approach has been proven time and again. The efficacy of his theories is far-reaching in the field of psychology.

Dr. Judith Beck has made a significant impact on cognitive behavior therapy as well. She followed her father’s path in research and development of treatments significant in cognitive behavioral therapy. Her work in the area of copping and mechanisms for change advanced the science in a progressive direction.

17 Science-Based Ways To Apply Positive CBT

These 17 Positive CBT & Cognitive Therapy Exercises [PDF] include our top-rated, ready-made templates for helping others develop more helpful thoughts and behaviors in response to challenges, while broadening the scope of traditional CBT.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Dr. Aaron T Beck is given the title of Father of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He was also named one of the top 5 most influential psychotherapists of all time. Beck is also named as an American in history that shaped the history of psychiatry.

Dr. Beck has published over 600 articles. He has authored or co-authored 25 books. The work he did in developing various scales for measuring depression is still in use today.

His work in cognitive behavioral therapy grew from the work of other psychologists like George Kelly and the vocabulary of Frederic Bartlett and Jean Piaget. The cognitive constructs theory of Kelly and the vocabulary created by Bartlett around the theories of schemas and the vocabulary of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development were very influential in Beck’s initial work in CBT.

As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Beck was noticing a remission of patients’ symptoms. With this realization, came the understanding that his patients were presenting with repeated stories around activating events that he later labeled automatic negative thoughts.

Through his work with depressed patients, Dr. Beck developed the Negative Cognitive Triad. He found 3 types of dysfunctional beliefs, or thoughts, that depressed people were experiencing. His findings suggested that these types of thoughts dominated the thinking of people with depression.

“I am defective or inadequate.”
“All of my experiences result in defeats or failure.”
“The future is hopeless.”

Dr. Beck believed that a close, personal relationship with the patient was crucial. The development of a trusting relationship was necessary to allow for the exploration of automatic negative thoughts. The mere admission of these thoughts was unsettling for some of his patients. The reframing of these thoughts through work with Dr. Beck resulted in significant numbers of patients’ self-reported improvement.

The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy was founded to further investigate the usage of his groundbreaking theory in helping people suffering from various psychological disorders. The institute was founded with his daughter, Dr. Judith Beck, to further investigate and serve a worldwide resource for CBT.

Mental health is a field of study that has come with a tremendous stigma. The rates of psychological disorders are astoundingly high, yet the number of people in treatment for these disorders is astoundingly low because of that stigma. If learning the concepts of cognitive behavioral therapy could help all people, through the examination of their cognitive distortions, an impact on reducing that stigma might be made.

All humans are flawed. There is not a single human alive that doesn’t have cognitive distortion from time to time. Developing a deeper understanding of what these distortions are and creating a way to reframe thoughts, behaviors, and actions can help all humans. What an incredible impact mental well-being training could have on the world! Thanks for reading.

If you are having thoughts of self-harm, please seek help. If depression and anxiety are disrupting your daily life, please seek help. No stigma is worth continued suffering.

We hope you found this article useful. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

Baker, R., Owens, M., Thomas, S., Whittlesea, A., Abbey, G., Gower, P., … & Thomas, P. W. (2012). Does CBT facilitate emotional processing? Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , 40 (1), 19-37.
Benjamin, C. L., Puleo, C. M., Settipani, C. A., Brodman, D. M., Edmunds, J. M., Cummings, C. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2011). History of cognitive-behavioral therapy in youth. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics , 20 (2), 179-189.
Bjork, D. W. (1997). B. F. Skinner: A life. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bolla, G., Sartore, G., & Correale, A. (1938). Psychotherapy and Enuresis. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 8 (3), 436-59.
Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York, NY: New American Library.
Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review , 26 (1), 17-31.
Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1991). Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: Psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100 (3), 316-336.
Davis, J. L., & Wright, D. C. (2006). Exposure, relaxation, and rescripting treatment for trauma-related nightmares. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation , 7 (1), 5-18.
Gaudiano, B. A. (2008). Cognitive-behavioural therapies: Achievements and challenges. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 11 (1), 5-7.
Karwoski, L., Garratt, G. M., & Ilardi, S. S. (2006). On the integration of cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression and positive psychology. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy , 20 (2), 159-170.
McArdle, S., & Moore, P. (2012). Applying evidence-based principles from CBT to sport psychology. The Sport Psychologist , 26 (2), 299-310.
Oltean, H. R., Hyland, P., Vallières, F., & David, D. O. (2017). An empirical assessment of REBT models of psychopathology and psychological health in the prediction of anxiety and depression symptoms. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , 45 (6), 600-615.
Ranjbari, T., Karimi, J., Mohammadi, A., & Norouzi, M. R. (2018). An evaluation of the contributions of the triple vulnerability model to the prediction of emotional disorders. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology , 23 (4), 408-423.
Shafran, R., Clark, D. M., Fairburn, C. G., Arntz, A., Barlow, D. H., Ehlers, A., … Wilson, G. T. (2009). Mind the gap: Improving the dissemination of CBT. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47 (11), 902-909.
Watson, J. B. (1913). Psychology as the behaviorist views it. Psychological Review, 20 (2), 158-177.

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Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Created: August 7, 2013 ; Last Update: September 8, 2016 ; Next update: 2022.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common and best studied forms of psychotherapy. It is a combination of two therapeutic approaches, known as cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy.

Which methods of treatment are applied depends on the illness or problem to be treated. The basic principle behind therapy is however always the same: What we think, how we feel and how we behave are all closely connected – and all of these factors have a decisive influence on our well-being.

What is cognitive therapy?

The term cognitive comes from the Latin "cognoscere", meaning "to recognize." The point of cognitive therapy is to form a clear idea of your own thoughts, attitudes and expectations. The goal is to reveal and change false and distressing beliefs, because it is often not only the things and situations themselves that cause problems, but the importance that we attach to them too.

For example, a dangerous thought pattern might be when somebody immediately draws negative conclusions from an occurrence, generalizes them and applies them to similar situations. In psychology, this generalized way of thinking is called “over-generalizing.” Another distressing error in reasoning is “catastrophizing”: If something disturbing happens, people immediately draw exaggerated conclusions about the scope of the supposed disaster ahead.

Such thought patterns can sometimes develop into self-fulfilling prophecies and make life difficult for the people affected. Cognitive therapy helps people learn to replace these thought patterns with more realistic and less harmful thoughts. It also helps people to think more clearly and to control their own thoughts better.

How does behavioral therapy work?

Behavioral therapy has its origins in American “behaviorism.” This theory assumes that human behavior is learned and can therefore be unlearned or learned anew. Behavioral therapy aims to find out whether certain behavioral patterns make your life difficult or intensify your problems. In the second step you work on changing these behavioral habits.

For example, people who have developed depressive thoughts often tend to withdraw and give up their hobbies. As a result, they feel even more unhappy and isolated. Cognitive therapy helps to identify this mechanism and find ways to become more active again.

In anxiety disorders, behavioral therapy often includes learning methods to help you calm down. For example, you can learn to reduce anxiety by consciously breathing in and out deeply so that your body and breathing can relax. When doing this you concentrate on your breathing instead of what is bringing on your anxiety. These kinds of techniques can help you to calm down instead of getting all worked up with anxiety.

By the way, in Germany, most psychotherapists who are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy call themselves behavioral therapists.

Which thought and behavioral patterns are harmful, which are not?

Harmful thoughts or behavioral habits can make people feel bad about themselves. For example: You see somebody you know on the street and say hello, but they do not say hello back. Your own reaction to that very much depends on how you assess the situation:

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How is cognitive behavioral therapy different from other psychotherapies?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a problem-oriented strategy. It focuses on current problems and finding solutions for them. Unlike psychoanalysis, for example, it does not deal primarily with the past. Cognitive behavioral therapy is much more concerned with dealing with current problems. The most important thing is helping people to help themselves: They should be able to cope with their lives again without therapy as soon as possible. This does not mean that cognitive behavioral therapy completely ignores the influence of past events. But it mainly deals with identifying and changing current distressing thought and behavioral patterns.

Analytic psychotherapy, which has its origin in classic Freudian psychoanalysis, uses different methods. Here the therapist tries to help the patient discover and understand problems and their deeper causes.

When is cognitive behavioral therapy an option?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to treat conditions such as depression , anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and addictions. But it is also an option for treating physical conditions such as chronic pain, tinnitus and rheumatism. It can help to relieve the symptoms.

Cognitive behavioral therapy requires the patient's commitment and own initiative. Therapy can only be successful if the patient actively takes part in the treatment and also works on their problems between sessions. This can be a considerable challenge, especially with severe conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders. That is why medication is sometimes used at first to quickly relieve the worst symptoms so that psychotherapy can be started.

Choosing a certain kind of psychotherapy also depends on the goals. If you feel the need for deep insight into the causes of your problems, cognitive behavioral therapy is probably not the right choice. It is particularly useful if you are mainly interested in tackling specific problems and are only secondarily concerned with the “why.”

How does cognitive behavioral therapy work and how long does it take?

It is important that you and your psychotherapist have a close and trusting working relationship. It can sometimes take a while to find the right therapist.

In the first session, you will briefly explain your current problems and outline your expectations. That forms the basis for discussing the goals of therapy and the therapy plan. The plan can be adjusted if your personal goals change over the course of therapy.

Therapy often includes recording your own thoughts in a journal over a certain period of time. The therapist will then check the following things with you: Do I perceive things appropriately and realistically? What happens if I behave differently than I normally do in a certain situation? You will regularly discuss any problems you may have and progress that you have made.

Cognitive behavioral therapy also uses relaxation exercises, stress and pain relief methods, and certain problem-solving strategies.

Compared to analytical psychotherapy approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term treatment. But there is also no standard length of cognitive behavioral therapy. Some people already feel much better after a few sessions, while others need treatment for several months. This depends on the kind and severity of the problems, among other things. An individual session lasts about an hour. Sessions usually take place once a week. Cognitive behavioral therapy is offered in psychotherapy practices, hospitals and rehabilitation clinics. It is sometimes also offered as group therapy.

Can cognitive behavioral therapy also have side effects?

Side effects resulting from psychotherapy cannot be ruled out. Being directly confronted with your problems or anxieties may be very stressful at first, and relationships might also suffer as a result. It is crucial to speak openly with your psychotherapist if any difficulties come up during therapy.

Hardly any research has been done on possible side effects of psychotherapy.

Who covers the costs?

In Germany, statutory health insurance pays for cognitive behavioral therapy to treat mental illnesses such as depression , anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders as well as addictions. The costs of cognitive behavioral therapy can also be covered for the treatment of severe symptoms that result from a chronic illness. It can however sometimes take several weeks or months until you can see a therapist or until the insurance company approves therapy.

In Germany, a psychotherapy practice can bill the statutory health insurance company directly for up to five trial sessions. This way you can get to know the psychotherapist, find out what the problems are and whether therapy is worthwhile. After the trial sessions, you and your psychotherapist have to prepare an application explaining why therapy is needed. You have to submit this application to your health insurance company before therapy can begin. Besides this application, your health insurance company also requires a medical report from your doctor stating that the symptoms are not caused by a physical problem, and that there are no medical reasons against psychotherapy. The statutory health insurance company decides whether to approve therapy based on an evaluation.

Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Psychotherapeutic healthcare. Berlin: RKI; 2008. ( Federal Health Reporting, Booklet 41 ).

IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

Cite this Page InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Cognitive behavioral therapy. 2013 Aug 7 [Updated 2016 Sep 8].
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Problem Solving

Identify the Problem.

Break it down into smaller steps and decide what you need to action first.

Brainstorm and write down as many ideas as you can that might help solve the problem, no matter how silly they seem - don't dismiss any possible solutions.

Consider the pros and cons of each possible solution, using a separate piece of paper.

Choose one of the possible solutions that looks likely to work, based on the advantages and disadvantages.

Plan out step-by-step what you need to do to carry out this solution. What? When? How? With whom or what? What could cause problems? How can you get around those problems? Is this realistic and achievable?

Do it! Carry out the plan

Review how it went. Was it helpful? Did you achieve what you set out to achieve? If not, how could you have done it differently? Did you achieve any progress, however small, towards your goal? What have you learned?

If you achieved your goal - consider tackling the next step of your original problem. If you didn't fully achieve your goal - make adjustments to your chosen solution, or return to steps 3 and 4 and choose another possible solution.

Problem Solving Worksheet PDF

You could also use the FACE acronym for problem solving - print the Face Problem Solving Worksheet PDF and have alongside you when watching the video. See the FACE Webpage , or watch the video, or use the

Face Problem Solving Worksheet PDF

THE DECIDER SKILLS FOR SELF HELP

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Psych 256: Cognitive Psychology, 002, SP24

Making connections between theory and reality., bilingualism, problem-solving and decision-making.

Living in a bilingual environment, I have always wondered whether speaking multiple languages contributes to the cognitive development of a child. Our cognitive system encompasses language comprehension, decision-making, problem-solving, memory, emotions, and perception. Multiple studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between bilingualism, the ability to use two languages for communication, and all areas of children’s cognitive development. Most importantly, there are numerous benefits on decision-making and problem-solving.

According to our course, decision-making involves the mental activities that occur when choosing among alternatives. Making decisions often involves dealing with uncertainty. A study conducted by Professor Boaz Keysar at the University of Chicago has demonstrated that bilingualism influences people’s decision-making and their appraisal of moral dilemmas. (Robson, 2023) In the experiment, participants who spoke Spanish as a second language were asked to consider a well-known “trolley problem” dilemma. The scenario includes a person who witnesses an oncoming train that is about to collide with five people walking on the track. The only way to save these people is to push a heavy man off the bridge to prevent the train from hitting them. In his study, Professor Boaz Keysar proved that when speaking a second language, participants were more likely to choose the utilitarian option of pushing the heavy man off the bridge to save five lives. Speaking multiple languages leads to more morally influenced decision-making and promotes more utilitarian decisions.

Additionally, bilingualism positively influences problem-solving. Problem-solving is the ability to find solutions to complex issues. The constant mental juggling that bilinguals engage in—switching between different languages, interpreting meanings, and adjusting responses according to linguistic context—contributes to improving a child’s problem-solving abilities. Besides that, research has shown that bilingual children demonstrate advantages in metalinguistic awareness, cognitive control, and conflict resolution tasks (Bialystok & Barac, 2012; Bialystok & Shapero, 2005). This set of skills can also prevent individuals from developing a termed mental set, the tendency to adopt strategies, frameworks, or procedures that have been used in the past to solve problems. The cognitive flexibility and metalinguistic awareness enable bilinguals to approach problems from different perspectives and reflect on their experiences from multiple angles.

Overall, there are plenty of advantages of speaking multiple languages for both children and adults. Bilingualism fosters creativity, boosts critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and encourages individuals to think outside the box. It broadens horizons and influences our perception of the world, enhances human memory, and contributes to the emotional aspects of decision-making. It’s never too late to learn a second language and embrace all the opportunities it brings along!

References:

Bialystok, E., & Shapero, D. (2005). Ambiguous benefits: The effect of bilingualism on reversing ambiguous figures. Developmental Science , 8(6), 595-604

Bialystok, E., & Barac, R. (2012). Emerging bilingualism: Dissociating advantages for metalinguistic awareness and executive control. Cognition , 122(1), 67-73.

Robson, D. (2023, September 17) ‘I couldn’t believe the data’: how thinking in a foreign language improves decision-making. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/17/how-learning-thinking-in-a-foreign-language-improves-decision-making?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Explore cognitive maps as higher-order learning activity to assess learning Calculus

Cognitive maps are regarded as 'internally represented schemas or mental models for particular problem-solving domains that are learned and encoded as a result of an individual's interaction with their environment' (Swan, 1997, p. 188). Cognitive maps can be viewed as an externalization of a schema encoded in a learnerâ€™s long-term memory. They are often used as media for constructive learning activities and as communication aids in lectures, study materials, and collaborative learning (Cafias et al.,2003). This learning tool has become popular in various educational settings. However, the existing research has not fully explored the effectiveness of cognitive mapping as a learning tool nor analyzed its utility as an assessment tool in mathematics-particularly calculus.This study will report on the implementation and evaluation of a novel assessment, cognitive mapping, in a university calculus course (N = 40). We will investigate relationships between cognitive mapping performance and two major outcome variables: academic achievement and assessment self-efficacy.

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COMMENTS

Solving Problems the Cognitive-Behavioral Way
Problem-solving is one technique used on the behavioral side of cognitive-behavioral therapy. The problem-solving technique is an iterative, five-step process that requires one to identify the ...
Problem-Solving Therapy: Definition, Techniques, and Efficacy
Problem-solving therapy is a brief intervention that provides people with the tools they need to identify and solve problems that arise from big and small life stressors. It aims to improve your overall quality of life and reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical illness. Problem-solving therapy can be used to treat depression ...
Problem solving self-help guide
This guide: provides step-by-step advice on how to solve problems. gives you a set of skills to help manage problems in the future. This guide is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT helps you to examine how you think about your life, and challenge negative automatic thoughts to free yourself from unhelpful thought and behaviour ...
Problem Solving Packet
Favorite. Guide your clients and groups through the problem solving process with the help of the Problem Solving Packet. Each page covers one of five problem solving steps with a rationale, tips, and questions. The steps include defining the problem, generating solutions, choosing one solution, implementing the solution, and reviewing the process.
Problem Solving
Problem Solving is a helpful intervention whenever clients present with difficulties, dilemmas, and conundrums, or when they experience repetitive thought such as rumination or worry. Effective problem solving is an essential life skill and this Problem Solving worksheet is designed to guide adults through steps which will help them to generate ...
Problem-Solving Therapy: How It Works & What to Expect
Problem-solving therapy (PST) is an intervention with cognitive and behavioral influences used to assist individuals in managing life problems. Therapists help clients learn effective skills to address their issues directly and make positive changes. PST is used in various settings to address mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and more.
10 Best Problem-Solving Therapy Worksheets & Activities
"Problem-solving therapy (PST) is a psychosocial intervention, generally considered to be under a cognitive-behavioral umbrella" (Nezu, Nezu, & D'Zurilla, 2013, p. ix). It aims to encourage the client to cope better with day-to-day problems and traumatic events and reduce their impact on mental and physical wellbeing.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Types, Techniques, Uses
Problem-Solving . Learning problem-solving skills during cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn how to identify and solve problems that may arise from life stressors, both big and small. It can also help reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical illness.
Problem-Solving Therapy
Problem-solving therapy is a cognitive-behavioral intervention geared to improve an individual's ability to cope with stressful life experiences. The underlying assumption of this approach is that symptoms of psychopathology can often be understood as the negative consequences of ineffective or maladaptive coping.
All About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
practicing problem-solving with your therapist; role-playing interactions with others; ... The skills CBT often emphasizes, like problem-solving, personal interaction, and time management, can ...
Problem solving
Make a list of your problems, and work out which are solvable and which are hypothetical. 3. Set aside time to work through solvable problems. Set aside 5 or 10 minutes to think about possible solutions for one of your solvable problems. Try to be as open-minded as you can, even if some ideas feel silly. Thinking broadly and creatively is often ...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term form of psychotherapy based on the idea that the way someone thinks and feels affects the way he or she behaves. ... Creative Problem-Solving ...
CBT WORKSHEET PACKET
A more detailed description and further examples of each worksheet can be found in Beck, J. S. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, 3rd ed. (2020), and Beck, J. S. Cognitive Therapy for Challenging Problems (2005). As noted in these books, the decision to use any given worksheet is based on the
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Problem solving describes a series of techniques that are often taught as part of a CBT intervention. Effective problem solving helps people to make adaptive choices. Socratic methods are used by CBT therapists to help their clients explore what they know, and to form their own opinions on a topic. Aaron Beck encouraged the use of Socratic-like ...
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Types, Techniques, Uses
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy that can be used to treat people with a wide range of mental health problems. ... memory, and problem-solving, with the person becoming obsessed with negative thoughts. Negative Self-Schemas. Beck believed that depression-prone individuals develop a negative self-schema.
CBT Coping Skills: Improving Cognitive Coping Skills
CBT coping skills involve dealing with negative emotions in a healthy way. They provide strategies for getting through difficult situations with less tension, anxiety, depression, and stress. CBT coping skills help you deal with uncomfortable emotions (anxiety, depression, etc.) so you can feel better physically, make better decisions, and more.
The key principles of cognitive behavioural therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) explores the links between thoughts, emotions and behaviour. It is a directive, time-limited, structured approach used to treat a variety of mental health disorders. It aims to alleviate distress by helping patients to develop more adaptive cognitions and behaviours. It is the most widely researched and ...
CBT Explained: An Overview & Summary of CBT (Incl. History)
Training in problem-solving; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, like other therapies, focuses on reducing the presence of negative emotions. Positive psychology can be presented as the catalyst that CBT needs to endure as a formidable treatment for psychological problems. The reduction of negative emotions does not create the presence of positive ...
Problem Solving
Consider your own behavior, as well as external factors. Define your problem. Be as clear and comprehensive as possible. If there are many parts to your problem, describe each of them. TIP: If you find it difficult to separate your emotions from the problem, try to complete this step from the perspective of an impartial friend.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
You will regularly discuss any problems you may have and progress that you have made. Cognitive behavioral therapy also uses relaxation exercises, stress and pain relief methods, and certain problem-solving strategies. Compared to analytical psychotherapy approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term treatment.
Problem Solving
Problem Solving. Step 1. Identify the Problem. Break it down into smaller steps and decide what you need to action first. Step 2. Brainstorm and write down as many ideas as you can that might help solve the problem, no matter how silly they seem - don't dismiss any possible solutions. Step 3.
A cognitive load theory approach to understanding expert scaffolding of
Visual problem-solving is an essential skill for professionals in various visual domains. Novices in these domains acquire such skills through interactions with experts (e.g., apprenticeships). Experts guide novice visual problem-solving with scaffolding behaviours. However, there is little consensus about the description and classification of scaffolding behaviours in practice, and to our ...
Bilingualism, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
Our cognitive system encompasses language comprehension, decision-making, problem-solving, memory, emotions, and perception. Multiple studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between bilingualism, the ability to use two languages for communication, and all areas of children's cognitive development.
Explore cognitive maps as higher-order learning activity to assess
Cognitive maps are regarded as 'internally represented schemas or mental models for particular problem-solving domains that are learned and encoded as a result of an individual's interaction with their environment' (Swan, 1997, p. 188). Cognitive maps can be viewed as an externalization of a schema encoded in a learnerâ€™s long-term memory.
Problem-Solving as a Language: A Computational Lens into ...
Human intelligence is characterized by our remarkable ability to solve complex problems. This involves planning a sequence of actions that leads us from an initial state to a desired goal state. Quantifying and comparing problem-solving capabilities across species and finding its evolutional roots is a fundamental challenge in cognitive science, and is critical for understanding how the brain ...