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 ◆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, 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