What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an evidence-based treatment which examines the complex relationship between thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, clinicians and clients work together to understand how thoughts, behaviors, and emotions negatively impact their daily experience, and collaboratively generate strategies to challenge less helpful thoughts, improve behaviors, and more effectively manage emotions. This treatment focuses heavily on the client's current experience, but takes into account one's past to understand how different life events influence current ways of thinking and behaving, and how these together negatively impact emotions.