cognitive behavioral therapy
noun
variants:
or less commonly cognitive behavior therapy
Definition of cognitive behavioral therapy
: psychotherapy that combines cognitive therapy with behavior therapy by identifying faulty or maladaptive patterns of thinking, emotional response, or behavior and substituting them with desirable patterns of thinking, emotional response, or behavior
—abbreviation CBT
Note: Cognitive behavioral therapy is used in the treatment of various mental and emotional disorders including depression, anxiety, anorexia, and substance abuse. Cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are often used interchangeably.
Cognitive behavioral therapy prods patients to do things that will make them feel a sense of accomplishment and connection, and to avoid interpreting situations as being worse than they are.— David H. Freedman The most scientifically studied technique, cognitive behavior therapy, teaches people to identify and dispute self-degrading thoughts … that can feed on themselves and cause people to sink into despair.— Benedict CareyExamples of cognitive behavioral therapy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The state Legislature did choose to make these cuts.’’ A cognitive behavioral therapy program for offenders on county supervision will be eliminated, meaning cuts to eight correction counselors, one program manager, and a corrections technician. — oregonlive, "Multnomah County commissioners approve $2.6 million in public safety cuts due to reduced state funding," 30 Aug. 2019 McKay recommends cognitive behavioral therapy as a treatment approach that helps kids retrain their thinking to interrupt anxious thought patterns and behaviors. — Cindy Dampier, chicagotribune.com, "‘I don’t want to go to school.’ When morning jitters become school refusal — and what parents can do about it," 1 July 2019 In addition, Dennis has been ordered to undergo cognitive behavioral therapy and the parties are required to attend co-parenting sessions, Andrew-Edwards tells PEOPLE. — Robyn Merrett, PEOPLE.com, "Southern Charm's Kathryn Dennis Gets Joint Temporary Custody of Her Children with Thomas Ravenel," 17 Aug. 2019 The most popular form of therapy for anxiety disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which helps the patient to better understand how negative thoughts can affect their mood and actions. — Sponsored Content With Pure Farmaceuticals, Houston Chronicle, "6 Natural Ways to Treat Anxiety," 29 July 2019 For help with depression, there’s cognitive behavioral therapy — a type of psychotherapy that has been incredibly effective. — Sandy Bauers, Philly.com, "Can we relieve suffering, avoid drug misuse - and not become 'opioid phobic'?," 15 June 2018 Certain types of psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a specific form of CBT called exposure and response prevention (ERP) can be incredibly helpful for some people, according to NAMI. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What's the Difference Between Occasional Obsessive Thoughts and OCD?," 1 June 2018 This patient participated in the Johns Hopkins smoking cessation pilot study that combined cognitive behavioral therapy with a compound containing psilocybin, the chemical that gives some mushrooms psychedelic properties. — Jason Diamond, The New Republic, "Can Psychedelic Drugs Do Good?," 15 May 2018 Gates is in the medical magnet program at Jones and hopes to pursue a career in cognitive behavioral therapy. — Annie Martin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Hotelier Rosen awards scholarships to 3 future Rollins students," 10 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cognitive behavioral therapy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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