Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The Basic Idea
Therapy comes in all shapes and sizes—as our world continues to face major changes, so has the way we approach mental health issues and treatment. With heightened social isolation and increasing demands in the workplace, access to different kinds of therapy has proven to be a saving grace for millions of individuals. But of all the options available— from art and animal assisted therapy to acceptance and commitment therapy and beyond—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) remains the gold-standard.1
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that helps individuals reframe negative thoughts or sensations they experience in a positive light. CBT encourages individuals to enhance their awareness of how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior, and uses the ABC model to assist individuals in learning healthier response mechanisms.
Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by their opinions about the things.
– Epictetus, Greek Stoic Philosopher
About the Author
Rebecca Mestechkin
Rebecca Mestechkin is a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in the Dominican Republic, dedicated to designing transformative initiatives for youth empowerment. Previously, Rebecca served as a pre-doctoral research fellow at the Meyer-Chabris Lab at Geisinger Health, where she specialized in judgment and decision-making related to research and health care. Her research primarily focuses on patient attitudes to AB testing, as well as comparative effectiveness of different approaches to informed consent. Rebecca also contributed to The Decision Lab as a behavioral insights fellow and content creator, exploring the intersections of behavioral science, economics, and psychology. She holds an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from McGill University.
