Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy (talk therapy) that focuses primarily on identifying and reshaping negative or unrealistic thoughts and beliefs.
While CBT is used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, it is also a fantastic tool for other common obstacles in life such as managing stressful situations.
The standard approach for CBT involves a large amount of self-reflection and conscientiousness.
Your therapist will work with you to identify stressful or troubling situations in your life and help you become more aware of your current reactions, feelings, and beliefs about them. Once you are more in tune with your thoughts, your therapist will guide you through identifying those that may be excessively negative or inaccurate to reality and will work with you to develop strategies for reshaping those thoughts.
Reshaping your thoughts may be harder than it seems, though, depending on how hard-wired your reactions are. As such it's important to consistently see your therapist as you're starting out. Likewise, it's common for CBT to involve "homework" to be completed in your own time to reinforce lessons from your previous session.
Think CBT may be a helpful addition to your life? Get matched with practicing therapists near you.