Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one of the most widely used and researched approaches in mental health treatment. It is an evidence-based therapy developed by Aaron Beck. CBT focuses on the connection between your thoughts, your emotions, and your behaviors.

The idea is simple. The way you think about a situation affects how you feel, and those feelings influence what you do. Sometimes we get stuck in patterns of thinking that do not help us. CBT helps you spot those patterns and build healthier, more balanced ways of responding.

CBT builds balanced thinking

CBT aims to make a negative thought less harmful and more realistic. Here is an example our clinicians use. You wake up, see rain, and think, “Rainy days are the worst.” That belief makes you notice every bad moment that follows: you were late, your boss was short with you, a task did not get done. Now shift the thought to something less distressing: “I really do not like the rain, and good things can still happen today.” You become more likely to notice both the good and the hard moments of your day.

CBT is practical and goal-oriented. You learn specific skills you can use in everyday life.

What CBT treats

Therapists use CBT for anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and other emotional and behavioral challenges.

What a CBT session looks like

Every therapist has a style. CBT tends to be more structured than traditional talk therapy. Sessions often include:

• discussing the challenges you face right now
• identifying the thoughts and behaviors that feed those challenges
• building strategies to address them

You take an active part. You learn and practice new skills, and you are never only talking about problems.

The thought log

Many CBT therapists use a worksheet called a thought log. Between sessions, you write down a triggering event, how you felt, and what you did. In session, you and your therapist look at the thoughts behind those reactions and work on shifting the ones that cause distress. You also ask, “Was that thought helpful?” and “Is a core belief attached to it?” After a while, you can do this on your own, outside of therapy.

Common thinking traps (cognitive distortions)

Early in CBT, your therapist introduces a structured list of common thinking traps, also called cognitive distortions or thought distortions. Naming a trap helps you notice it when it happens. These are the ones people meet most often:

• All-or-nothing thinking. Seeing things as perfect or terrible, with nothing in between. “If I do not get an A, I failed.”
• Catastrophizing. Expecting the worst outcome. “If I stumble in this presentation, my career is over.”
• Discounting the positive. Deciding that good things do not count. “They only complimented me to be polite.”
• Emotional reasoning. Treating a feeling as a fact. “I feel like a failure, so I must be one.”
• Labeling. Giving yourself or someone else a fixed label. “I am a loser.”
• Magnification and minimization. Blowing up the negative and shrinking the positive. “One mistake ruined the whole project.”
• Mental filter. Focusing on one negative detail and missing the rest. “The group liked my talk, but one person yawned.”
• Mind reading. Believing you know what others think. “She did not text back, so she must be upset with me.”
• Overgeneralization. Turning one event into a rule. “I got turned down once, so nobody will ever hire me.”
• Personalization. Taking the blame for things that are not about you. “My friend is quiet today, so I must have done something wrong.”
• “Should” and “must” statements. Holding rigid rules for yourself or others. “I should never feel anxious.”

How we work with a thinking trap

You learn to recognize the pattern, then weigh it more objectively. You might list the pros and cons of believing the thought, or rate how strongly you believe it as a percentage. Then you shift it toward a more balanced and realistic view. The goal is realism and balance. CBT does not ask you to pretend everything is wonderful.

Homework between sessions

Some of the most important CBT work happens between sessions. Your therapist may suggest practicing a coping skill, keeping a thought log, or trying a new behavior in daily life. These exercises help you use what you learn in real situations, and that is why homework is a key part of CBT.

How to know CBT is working

Progress looks different for everyone. Many people notice they:

• think about situations differently
• handle difficult emotions with more skill
• respond to stress in healthier ways
• feel more confident and have fewer symptoms
• catch a negative thought as it happens and shift it in the moment

The aim of CBT is to notice unhelpful thoughts and challenge or shift them as they arise. Over time, you feel more able to handle life’s challenges on your own.

Common myths about CBT

• Myth: CBT is positive thinking. CBT builds realistic, balanced thinking, with no rainbows or butterflies required.
• Myth: CBT is rigid. Your therapist tailors it to your needs and goals.
• Myth: CBT is right for everyone. CBT works well for many people, and no single therapy fits everyone. Your therapist may suggest another approach or combine several, based on your symptoms, history, goals, and preferences.

CBT at Dayrise Wellness

At Dayrise, CBT is often part of an individualized treatment plan that supports your growth and recovery. Jami Aitken, LCSW, our Director of Clinical Services, has formal training in CBT. Our therapists also draw on other approaches, such as ACT and DBT skills, when they fit. The skills you learn in CBT stay with you long after therapy ends.

Meet our therapists in Lombard and Naperville, or meet online across Illinois.

Dayrise Wellness offers therapy for teens ages 12 and up and for adults, with in-person and online options. We are in-network with BlueCross BlueShield PPO, United Healthcare PPO, and Aetna PPO. Book a free consultation. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 now, or call 911 in an emergency.

Co-authored and clinically reviewed by Jami Aitken, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services. Last reviewed November 3, 2026.

CBT: your questions