Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Last reviewed Saturday, October 24, 2026

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a structured talking therapy that helps you change how you think and act. It works mainly on problems in the present rather than on your past. It’s a recommended treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD, and a course usually runs between 5 and 15 sessions.

Also called: cognitive behavioral therapy (the US spelling); CBT; cognitive therapy. Versions for particular problems include trauma-focused CBT, CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) and exposure therapy.

This entry is a short definition. Our full article, Understanding Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), explains the ABC model and techniques you can try.

How it works

CBT is based on psychiatrist Aaron Beck’s idea that the way you interpret a situation shapes your reaction more than the situation itself. In sessions you talk about situations you find hard, and how they make you think, feel and act. With your therapist you might question an unhelpful thought (“everyone thinks I’m a failure”), notice feelings without reacting to them, or start doing things you’ve been avoiding. Practice between sessions is part of it, often with a worksheet or diary. You can have CBT one to one, in a group, or as guided self-help.

What it helps with

CBT is recommended for depression, including postnatal depression, and for anxiety problems such as social anxiety, phobias and OCD. It’s also used for PTSD and eating disorders, and as part of care for bipolar disorder and personality disorders.

Uses beyond mental health: CBT can also help with insomnia, problems with alcohol and drugs, long-term pain, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue.

In Nigeria

CBT works well online. Across 47 studies comparing live video therapy with face-to-face therapy, the difference was negligible, and the clearest gains were for CBT for anxiety and depression. That matters where an in-person therapist is hard to find. CBT doesn’t ask you to set aside your faith: a good therapist adapts it to your background and beliefs, and you can choose one who works with faith-based counselling.

How it differs from other therapies

Psychodynamic therapy spends more time on the past and on patterns you may not be aware of. CBT stays mostly with the present and with practical skills. For more severe depression, guidelines often pair CBT with an antidepressant prescribed by a doctor.

When to get help

If worry, low mood or a habit you can’t break has gone on for weeks, CBT is worth asking about. You can book a licensed therapist on Mytherapist.ng who offers CBT and skills-based therapy.

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