Cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT) is an approach that aims to identify negative emotions, behaviours and thoughts (cognitions) and find ways to transcend them. It has been shown to be effective in more than 400 outcome studies in the treatment of depression, general anxiety disorders, panic, anger, eating disorders and marital distress. It has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of medical conditions such as chronic pain, hypertension, and fibromyalgia.

The therapist and client work together as a team to identify and solve problems, and therapists help clients to overcome their difficulties through changing their thinking, behavior, and emotional response.

Time Magazine (01/20/03) has stated that Cognitive Therapy is "...quick, practical, goal oriented."

At Psychology Melbourne, we use CBT in individual therapy as well as group settings. It plays a major part in our weight management program.

In our Managing Negative Thoughts classes, the objective is to identify and monitor thoughts, assumptions, beliefs and behaviours that are related to debilitating negative emotions and to identify those which are dysfunctional, inaccurate, or simply unhelpful. This allows us to replace or transcend them with more realistic and useful ones.

CBT was primarily developed through a merging of behaviour therapy with cognitive therapy. While rooted in rather different theories, these two traditions found common ground in focusing on the "here and now" and symptom removal.

The particular therapeutic techniques vary, but may include keeping a diary of significant events and associated feelings, thoughts and behaviors; questioning and testing cognitions, assumptions, evaluations and beliefs that might be unhelpful and unrealistic; gradually facing activities which may have been avoided; and trying out new ways of behaving and reacting.