What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is based on the idea that maladaptive thought patterns lead to maladaptive emotions and behaviors, which, in turn, cause dysfunction in a person's life. This whole cognitive machine (the “C” in CBT) leads people to feel and behave (the “B”) a certain way. The role of therapy (the “T”), then, is to educate the client about the existence of said cognitive machine and help him or her reprogram it.