Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy

General information

About Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Developed by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, Cognitive Therapy (CT), or Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client work together as a team to identify and solve problems. Therapists help clients to overcome their difficulties by changing their thinking, behavior, and emotional responses.

Effective

In hundreds of clinical trials, CBT has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of disorders. To name just a few, it has been found useful for:

psychiatric disorders such as depression, the full range of anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, personality disorders, and (along with medication) bipolar disorder and schizophrenia;
medical disorders with a psychological component, including several conditions involving chronic or acute pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, pre-menstrual syndrome, colitis, sleep disorders, obesity, Gulf War syndrome, and somatoform disorders; and
psychological problems such as anger, relationship difficulties, and compulsive gambling.

CBT is also used to address stress, low self-esteem, grief and loss, work-related problems and problems associated with aging.
» See more conditions that CBT has been used to treat

Broad Application

Studies have shown that CBT is effective for children and adolescents, adults, and older adults. It is used in individual, couples, family, and group formats and in a wide variety of settings, such as schools, correctional facilities, outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospitalization units.