Terms & Definitions · Therapies
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
In short: CBT is a therapy based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings and actions are all connected, and that changing one can help change the others.
What is it?
CBT grew out of the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck in the 1960s. It is one of the most widely used and most studied therapies today.
The basic idea is like a triangle:
- Thoughts (“I always mess things up”)
- Feelings (sad, scared, ashamed)
- Actions (staying home, avoiding people)
Each corner pushes on the others. According to CBT, if you learn to notice and question unhelpful thoughts, or try new actions, your feelings can change too.
How does it work?
In CBT, you and your therapist look for patterns: thoughts that pop up automatically and make things feel worse. Then you practice checking them. Is it really true? Is there another way to see it?
CBT also uses small, planned steps to try new things, like slowly facing something you’ve been avoiding.
What happens in a session?
- Setting a goal for the session, together.
- Looking at a recent hard moment: what happened, what you thought, how you felt, what you did.
- Working on it: questioning a thought, or planning a small new step.
- Homework: something to practice before next time, like writing down thoughts when they happen.
CBT is often short-term, around 12 to 20 sessions, though it can be longer.
When is it used?
Research suggests CBT helps with depression, anxiety, panic, phobias, OCD, and more. There are also trauma-focused versions, such as Trauma-Focused CBT (often used with children) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD.
CBT and DID
CBT skills can help with everyday problems, like anxiety or negative self-talk. But CBT was not designed with DID in mind. It treats the mind as one “you,” so it doesn’t speak to parts, switching, or amnesia.
Different parts may hold very different thoughts and beliefs, so what works for one part may not work for another. Many therapists who work with dissociation use some CBT tools alongside other approaches, at a pace the whole system can handle.
Related terms
A note about theories
The therapies and theories about trauma and DID are ideas that researchers are still studying and arguing about. None of them are proven facts. What works for one person may not work for another. Please take the time to read about any therapy yourself, ask questions, and decide what feels right for you.
Sources
Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. International Universities Press.
Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
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