Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was developed by American psychotherapist Dr. Aaron Beck in the 1960s. The focus of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the client´s cognitions and thought process. CBT approach is concerned with the present and is problem-focused. One key term used in CBT theory is automatic thoughts, which are thoughts that pop into our heads and lead us to have feelings. Schemas which is the way our brain has organized thoughts how they make sense of self and world. Another is the negative triad which are negative thoughts about self (present), the world (is it safe?), future (thoughts), and beliefs that develop early on in life (impacting our current view). There are specific cognitive distortions that we work with such as selective abstraction, overgeneralization, polarized thinking, and more. The role of the therapist with CBT can sometimes feel like a coach. The goals of CBT theory treatment are symptom reduction, developing skills around problematic thinking. CBT is all about our connection between thoughts, behavior, and feelings. The CBT therapist believes that change happens by altering dysfunctional thought patterns.
