Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy that's typically short-term and is founded on the idea that our thoughts can significantly influence our emotions. This approach emphasizes current thoughts, behaviors, and communication rather than delving into past experiences and is geared towards solving problems. It has been utilized to address a wide array of issues, such as depression, anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, eating disorders, and personality disorders. Often referred to as cognitive behavior therapy, it focuses on altering both thought patterns (the cognitive aspect) and actions (the behavioral aspect). For example, cognitive therapy has been instrumental in assisting individuals with substance dependencies, like cocaine addiction, to achieve abstinence. The therapy is based on the premise that learning processes are crucial in both the onset and persistence of cocaine addiction, and these same processes can be harnessed to help people decrease their drug use.
