What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and How Can It Help You?
A Buddhist quote says: ‘‘What we think, we become.”
Aaron Beck, the founder of CBT, sought to reverse this: “If our thinking is bogged down by distorted symbolic meanings, illogical reasoning and erroneous interpretations, we become, in truth, blind and deaf.”
Introduction
When you’re living with depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental health conditions, it can be easy to feel trapped in repeating cycles of negative thinking and difficult emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and researched approaches in mental health care — and it’s designed to help people break those cycles.
CBT is not just about talking through problems. It’s about learning practical skills to notice unhelpful thoughts, identify the underlying beliefs connected to them, shift those patterns, and respond in ways that support your overall well-being.
What Is CBT?
At its core, CBT is built on a simple but powerful idea: our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected. If our thinking becomes rigid or negative, it can fuel painful feelings, lead us into unhelpful behaviors, and increase our daily suffering.
CBT therapists often describe three “levels” of cognition that shape how we feel and act. These are as follows:
Core Beliefs: Deep, often hidden ideas about ourselves, others, and the world. These are usually learned early in life and can feel like absolute truths (e.g., “I’m not good enough,” or “People can’t be trusted”).
Intermediate Beliefs (Rules, Attitudes, and Assumptions): The rules and assumptions we live by, often shaped by those core beliefs (e.g., “If I ask for help, I’ll look weak”).
Automatic Thoughts (The Reactive Level): Quick, situation-based reactions that often happen just below awareness (e.g., “I knew I’d fail at this”).
When core and intermediate beliefs are negative, they influence automatic thoughts in ways that reinforce painful emotions and unhelpful behavior patterns. Here are some examples…
Example 1:
A core belief might be: “I’m not good enough.”
From that, an intermediate belief (rule/assumption) could develop: “If I try something new, I’ll only fail, so it’s safer not to try.”
Then, in a specific situation — say being invited to apply for a promotion at work — this belief system gets triggered.
Here’s how it plays out:
The invitation is filtered through the person’s beliefs.
Their automatic thought might be: “They’ll see I’m not qualified. I’ll embarrass myself.”
That thought fuels feelings of anxiety and hopelessness.
The person then withdraws or avoids applying.
Avoidance reinforces the core belief that they’re “not good enough,” keeping the cycle going.
Example 2:
A core belief might be: “People can’t be trusted.”
From that, an intermediate belief (rule/assumption) could form: “If I let people get close to me, they will eventually hurt or betray me.”
Then, in a specific situation — say starting to date someone new — this belief system gets triggered.
Here’s how it unfolds:
A small, neutral event happens: the partner doesn’t respond to a text right away.
The situation is filtered through the belief system.
The automatic thought might be: “They must be losing interest. They’re probably talking to someone else.”
That thought creates feelings of fear, anger, or suspicion.
The person reacts by pulling away or accusing the partner of dishonesty.
The tension this creates in the relationship then reinforces the core belief that “people can’t be trusted.”
The Role of Therapy
CBT helps people identify these patterns and practice new, more balanced ways of thinking and responding. A therapist and client will collaborate together and work as almost methodical detectives first beginning with the specific situations (the reactive level) and working backwards to uncover, identify, challenge, and reshape intermediate and core beliefs that provide the interpretative lens of their day to day experience.
More About CBT in Practice and Therapy
CBT is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is:
Structured and goal-oriented — sessions focus on specific goals and measurable progress.
Collaborative — you and your therapist are partners in the work.
Practical — you’ll learn skills you can use in everyday life.
Positive and growth-focused — CBT emphasizes strengths and building resilience (Beck, 2021).
By working with a therapist, clients gain tools to challenge negative thoughts, shift beliefs, and adopt healthier coping strategies. Over time, this process supports lasting emotional and behavioral change.
Does CBT Really Work?
Yes — and the research is extensive.
In the 1970s, the first controlled studies showed that CBT was just as effective as antidepressant medication for depression (Rush, Beck, Kovacs, & Hollon, 1977).
Since then, over 2,000 studies have supported CBT’s effectiveness for a wide range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more (Beck, 2021).
Long-term studies show that CBT can have lasting effects. One study found that clients continued to improve even 5 to 20 years after completing CBT (von Brachel et al., 2019).
Reviews of psychotherapy outcomes highlight that language and conceptualization in CBT help clients gain clarity and contribute significantly to positive results (Wampold, 2015).
CBT is now considered a “gold standard” treatment in mental health because of this strong body of evidence.
Why CBT Might Be Right for You
If you’re looking for therapy that is:
Practical and skills-based
Grounded in research
Focused on your goals
Designed to give you tools you can use every day
…then CBT may be a strong fit.
Whether you’re facing symptoms of depression, struggling with anxious thoughts, or simply feeling stuck, CBT provides a pathway toward balance, healing, and growth.
—
Joseph Mounts M.Ed., AADC, LPC
References
Beck, J. S. (2021). Cognitive behavioral therapy: Basics and beyond (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Psychology Research and Reference. (n.d.). Integrative/eclectic therapy. Retrieved from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/counseling-therapy/integrative-eclectic-therapy/
Rush, A. J., Beck, A. T., Kovacs, M., & Hollon, S. D. (1977). Comparative efficacy of cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of depressed outpatients. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173502
von Brachel, R., Hirschfeld, G., Berner, A., Willutzki, U., Teismann, T., Cwik, J. C., & Margraf, J. (2019). Long-term effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in routine outpatient care: A 5- to 20-year follow-up study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 88(4), 225–235. https://doi.org/10.1159/000501060
Wampold, B. E. (2015). How important are the common factors in psychotherapy? An update. World Psychiatry, 14(3), 270–277. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20238
