cognitive behavioral therapy

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 Carey

Examples of cognitive behavioral therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Right now, 135 young men are enrolled in the organization’s cognitive behavioral therapy and employment training programs. — Yvonne Wenger, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore man says he’s ‘a young Black brother pushing for greatness’ with help from a local anti-violence group," 15 Oct. 2020 Castillo, a 24-year-old recent journalism school graduate in Cerritos, Calif., who was sickened along with his parents and brother, uses cognitive behavioral therapy to try to redirect his worried thoughts. — Gabrielle Glaser, STAT, "Fear, dread, and panic: Some Covid-19 survivors feel stalked by possibility of reinfection," 28 Aug. 2020 Feel Launched in 2015, Feel combines cognitive behavioral therapy with a digital wristband that quantifies users’ emotional states based on biomarkers. — Miri Polachek, Fortune, "5 companies that want to track your emotions," 22 Aug. 2020 Although more research is needed, scientific studies have concuded that chatbots have potential in treating mental health issues and could be an effective way of delivering cognitive behavioral therapy. — Nell Lewis, CNN, "Robot friends: Why people talk to chatbots in times of trouble," 19 Aug. 2020 For young people, psychosocial interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy were a potential solution. — Ryan Prior, CNN, "Growing up in a violent environment is likely to lead to accelerated aging and disease risk, new review of studies shows," 3 Aug. 2020 Traube deals directly with the psychological side, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy and recovery from the inside out. — Rachel Krause, refinery29.com, "Adult Acne Is On The Rise — & It Goes Way Beyond Surface Level," 7 July 2020 With cognitive behavioral therapy, the goal is to extend the delay between a thought and an action. — Stefan Krajisnik, The Indianapolis Star, "After 2018 suicide attempt, A’Shon Riggins fights to defeat mental health stigma for others," 2 July 2020 They are frequently used in therapy, according to Dr. Emanuel Maidenberg, head of UCLA Health’s cognitive behavioral therapy program. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, "You could use a hug. Here are some safe options," 23 June 2020

These 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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Dictionary Entries near cognitive behavioral therapy

cognatus

cognition

cognitive

cognitive behavioral therapy

cognitive dissonance

cognitive radio

cognitive science

Statistics for cognitive behavioral therapy

Last Updated

26 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Cognitive behavioral therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive%20behavioral%20therapy. Accessed 26 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for cognitive behavioral therapy

cognitive behavioral therapy

noun

variants: also cognitive behavior therapy

Medical Definition of cognitive behavioral therapy

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, Discover, January/February 2013 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 Carey, The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2006