Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): What It Is and How It Can Help You Feel Better

If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, you might have come across the term Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. It’s one of the most researched and widely used therapy approaches, especially for people dealing with anxiety, depression, or overwhelming stress. But what exactly is CBT—and how can it help you feel better?

At our practice, we often integrate elements of CBT into our work with clients. While we don’t exclusively offer CBT, we draw on its tools and strategies to help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It’s one part of a personalized, collaborative approach we take to support your emotional wellness and mental health goals.

In this post, we’ll walk through what CBT is, how it works, and how it may support you in building a healthier relationship with yourself and the world around you.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of talk therapy that focuses on the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The core idea behind CBT is that the way you think about a situation can affect how you feel and what you do.

We all develop automatic thought patterns over time. Sometimes those patterns are helpful—but other times, they can be overly negative, critical, or unrealistic. For example:

• “I always mess things up.”

• “No one wants to hear what I have to say.”

• “If I try, I’ll probably fail.”

These kinds of thoughts can make it harder to manage your mood, connect with others, or take action toward your goals.

CBT helps you:

• Recognize unhelpful thinking patterns

• Understand how those thoughts affect your feelings and behaviors

• Learn new ways of thinking that are more balanced and supportive

It’s a structured, skills-based approach that empowers you to shift your mindset and build lasting emotional resilience.

CBT as Part of Our Therapy Approach

At our practice, we understand that no two people are alike. That’s why we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Instead, we tailor our work to your specific needs, goals, and lived experiences.

CBT is one of several therapeutic tools we may draw on to help you:

• Manage symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Work through self-doubt or low self-esteem

• Build coping skills for stress and overwhelm

• Improve your relationships and communication

• Shift out of unhelpful patterns and feel more in control

We may blend CBT strategies with other approaches, such as mindfulness-based practices, relational therapy, or trauma-informed care, depending on what’s most helpful for you.

How CBT Helps: Real-Life Examples

Here are a few ways CBT techniques can be helpful in everyday life:

1. Managing Anxiety

If you tend to get stuck in “what if” thinking, CBT can help you pause and question those thoughts. For example:

• Automatic thought: “What if I embarrass myself during the meeting?”

• CBT response: “I’ve led meetings before and handled them well. I can prepare ahead of time, and it’s okay to feel a little nervous.”

Over time, learning to reframe anxious thoughts can reduce fear and help you feel more confident in uncertain situations.

2. Challenging Negative Self-Talk

If you struggle with self-criticism or perfectionism, CBT techniques can help you notice those harsh inner voices and replace them with more compassionate, realistic ones. For instance:

• Instead of “I’m such a failure,” you might shift to, “I made a mistake, but that doesn’t define my worth.”

3. Improving Mood with Action

CBT encourages small behavioral changes to improve your mood—like taking a walk, calling a friend, or completing a task you’ve been avoiding. These small steps can help break the cycle of depression and increase your sense of accomplishment.

Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Whether used on its own or as part of a broader therapeutic approach, CBT offers a wide range of benefits:

• Improved emotional regulation: You’ll gain tools to manage difficult emotions rather than feeling overwhelmed by them.

• Greater self-awareness: You'll learn to recognize your thought patterns and how they affect your mood and behavior.

• Practical coping skills: From relaxation techniques to thought journaling, you’ll develop strategies you can use outside of sessions.

• Increased self-esteem: By challenging negative self-beliefs, you can start to see yourself in a more compassionate and realistic light.

• Better communication and boundaries: CBT can help you feel more confident expressing your needs and setting limits in relationships.

And perhaps most importantly, CBT can help you feel more in control of your mental health.

Is CBT Right for You?

While CBT is commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, it can also be helpful for a wide range of challenges, including:

• Stress and burnout

• Trauma recovery

• Relationship issues

• Perfectionism or people-pleasing

• Chronic illness or pain

• Insomnia

• Life transitions and grief

If you’re looking for therapy that not only helps you process your emotions but also gives you practical tools for change, CBT-informed work could be a good fit.

What to Expect in CBT-Informed Therapy

Therapy that includes CBT tools tends to be collaborative and goal-oriented. We’ll work with you to:

• Understand what’s not working and what you want to change

• Identify patterns in your thinking, feeling, and behavior

• Explore alternative perspectives and practice new coping strategies

• Apply what you learn to real-life situations

And we’ll do all of this in a supportive, nonjudgmental space where you can feel safe being yourself.

Let’s Work Together

If you’re interested in therapy that incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques as part of a personalized, holistic approach, we’re here to help. Whether you're navigating anxiety, depression, life stress, or something else entirely, we’ll work together to find what works best for you.

You don’t have to face your struggles alone—and you don’t have to stay stuck in the same old patterns. Therapy can help you move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and self-compassion.

Schedule your free phone consultation online today to schedule a consultation or learn more about how therapy can support your mental health.