Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured and up-to-date psychotherapy method that teaches individuals to develop and regulate their ability to change ineffective and distressing thoughts and behaviors. It is a cognitively based psychotherapy. The main aim of the therapy is to help the client change thoughts and emotions that are not beneficial to them and, as a result, to achieve a lasting state of well-being.

CBT was developed in the 1960s by Dr. Aaron Beck. Scientific studies conducted have shown that CBT is one of the few psychotherapy methods that has been scientifically tested and proven to be effective in many psychiatric disorders. Unlike many other psychotherapy methods, CBT is focused on the “HERE and NOW.” It stands out with its shorter duration of therapy, its problem-solving-oriented structure, and the techniques used in practice. Clients learn to use the skills they acquire during CBT throughout the rest of their lives.

According to the cognitive therapy model, the way we perceive events and the thoughts we develop about events affect our emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps clients identify the thoughts that disturb them, evaluate how realistic these thoughts are, and learn how they can change these thoughts. As a result of this process, changing behaviors is also aimed for. Thus, the client can develop a more functional way of life at both the level of thought and behavior.