What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is a widely researched, evidence-based approach that has proven to be effective for a wide range of psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, panic attacks, agoraphobia, OCD and stress-related issues. It's a type of therapy based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected and influence each other. When we change unhelpful thinking patterns or behaviors, we can improve how we feel and handle life's challenges. It also focuses on the idea that the situations that happen to us by themselves do not play such an important role on how we feel or act, but instead what really matters is the meaning that we give to these situations, so basically how we interpret them. These interpretations are often influenced by deep-seated beliefs we've developed about ourselves, other people, and the world.

From childhood, over time, we all develop deeply held beliefs about ourselves, others and the world, what in CBT we call our core beliefs or schemas. These are shaped through our experiences and relationships with important people in our lives like our caregivers, teachers, parents, friends, etc.

For example, imagine someone growing up in a family where their parents were very overprotective. They were rarely allowed to do things on their own. Maybe their parents would step in quickly whenever something seemed difficult, solve problems for them, or shield them from any kind of failure or discomfort. Even though this often comes from a place of love, the unspoken message the child might receive is “You can’t handle things on your own.” Over time, without many opportunities to try, fail, and learn, the child might start to believe “I’m not capable enough.” The core beliefs that we develop give rise to intermediate beliefs, such as rules and assumptions we hold about how we should behave or how the world works. For example, the same person could have developed an assumption that the world is a scary place and that uncomfortable feelings are not tolerable.

These beliefs usually serve a purpose early on. But as we grow and our lives change, some of them start getting in the way, fueling anxiety, low mood, or self-doubt by shaping how we interpret everyday experiences.

Imagine holding the belief “I’m not good enough” and your boss praises your work. That’s a positive moment, but if your mind is stuck in the “I’ll never be enough” story, you might automatically think, “He probably says that to everyone.” That’s what we call an automatic thought. We all have tons of them every day, some neutral, like “Turn right,” and others more emotionally charged and tied to our beliefs.

In CBT, we first learn to slow down and notice these automatic thoughts. Over time, we start seeing the patterns, how our thoughts are connected to deeper beliefs. But CBT doesn’t stop there. It also looks at how our behavior keeps those beliefs going. If I believe I’m not capable and avoid challenges, I never get to see what I can do, so the belief stays alive.

That’s why we focus on both thought and behavior awareness. We gently test those beliefs by creating new experiences, like trying something new, being kinder to ourselves, or sitting with a difficult emotion without escaping it. Step by step, those new experiences can shift how we see ourselves and the world. And eventually, the old beliefs might start to loosen, making space for ones that support the life we want to live.