cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an approach to problem solving that helps persons understand their thoughts and develop strategies to change behaviors. Founded by Dr. Aaron Beck, an American psychiatrist (b. 1921), CBT is effective in the treatment of mood disorders as well as many other mental health conditions. CBT is accomplished in psychotherapy groups and/or in individual counseling. The goal is to identify how one’s own thoughts and beliefs lead to certain behaviors and to make changes in thinking first, become aware of behaviors, and then move toward a positive change in both.
