Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. By exploring patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can modify their patterns of thinking to improve coping. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that is different from traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy in that the therapist and the patient will actively work together to help the patient recover from their mental illness.

Like counseling, CBT deals with current situations more than events in your past or childhood.In particular,

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT can help in:

• ● Manage symptoms of mental illness, either by itself or with other treatments such as medications
• ● Prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms
• ● Treat a mental illness when medications aren't a good option, such as during pregnancy
• ● Learn techniques for coping with stressful life situations, such as problems at work
• ● Identify ways to manage emotions, such as anger
• ● Resolve relationship conflicts and learn better ways to communicate
• ● Cope with grief, such as after the loss of a loved one
• ● Overcome emotional trauma related to abuse or violence
• ● Cope with a medical illness, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or cancer
• ● Manage chronic physical symptoms, such as pain, insomnia or fatigue

CBT can also be used to treat people with long-term health conditions, such as arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of these health conditions, but can help people cope better with them.

Mental health conditions that may improve with cognitive behavioral therapy include:

• ● Sleep disorders
• ● Sexual disorders
• ● Depression
• ● Bipolar disorders
• ● Anxiety disorders
• ● Phobias
• ● Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• ● Eating disorders
• ● Substance use disorders
• ● Personality disorders
• ● Schizophrenia
• ● Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-