Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very common therapy technique used.  Developed in the 1960’s, psychiatrist Aaron Beck noticed that there was a lot more going on in his patient’s minds, an internal dialogue, than what they shared with him, and from there, he developed CBT.

CBT is a short-term, goal-oriented treatment, typically lasting five to ten months.  In CBT, the client is taught to reframe their thinking and behaviors.  Automatic thoughts, for example, are emotion-filled thoughts that pop up in the mind.  People are not always fully aware of these thoughts, but they are important to their emotional state.  Being aware of these thoughts, and challenging the validity of them, is often a step in CBT.  In short, it’s not necessarily the events that have happened in your life, as much as how you feel about those events.

I find that a lot of therapist use a combination of CBT and other therapy techniques (an eclectic approach), such as existential or psychotherapy.

For more information about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I recommend the youtube video below: