What is CBT? Cognitive behavioural therapy explained

Cognitive behavioural therapy starts from a simple observation: what we think, what we feel and what we do are linked. Change one and the others shift.

How it works

Imagine a friend does not reply to your message. If your first thought is “I have upset them”, you feel anxious and might avoid them. If your thought is “they are probably busy”, you feel fine and carry on. Same event, different thought, different day.

CBT helps you notice these automatic thoughts, check them against the evidence, and try out different responses. The behavioural half is just as important: gently doing the things anxiety or low mood have talked you out of.

What sessions look like

• You and your therapist agree on what to work on and set clear goals.
• Sessions have a structure: check in, review, learn or practise a skill, plan the week.
• You try things between sessions. That is where most of the change happens.
• It is usually short-term, often somewhere between six and twenty sessions.

What it helps with

CBT has strong evidence for anxiety, panic, phobias, depression, OCD, insomnia and more. There are adapted forms for specific problems, such as CBT-I for sleep and trauma-focused CBT.

Is it right for you?

CBT suits people who like structure and practical tools. If you would rather explore freely, or want to understand long-standing patterns in depth, another approach may fit better. Many therapists combine methods. Tell us what you prefer in the matching questions and we will take it into account.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are in crisis, please use the resources on our Get help now page.