Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an umbrella term for a range of therapies that share a common foundation in cognitive and behavioral principles but focus on specific techniques and approaches.

These are the main types of CBT approaches:

• Traditional CBT (Beck’s model)

1. • The original CBT approach developed by Aaron Beck concentrates on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and maladaptive behaviors, particularly for depression and anxiety.

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

• • DBT combines CBT techniques with mindfulness and acceptance strategies.
  • It’s especially helpful for borderline personality disorder (BPD), emotional regulation, and self-harm behaviors.

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  

• • ACT focuses on accepting negative thoughts and feelings rather than changing them.
  • It uses mindfulness and behavioral strategies to help individuals commit to actions aligned with their values, helping manage anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.

• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)

• • Combining mindfulness practices with cognitive techniques, MBCT helps prevent the return of depression and is also useful for treating anxiety.
  • It emphasizes awareness of thoughts and feelings without judgment.

• Schema therapy

• • Schema therapy centers on identifying and changing deeply ingrained patterns (schemas) that developed in childhood and continue to influence adult relationships.
  • It’s helpful for personality disorders and long-standing emotional difficulties.

• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
  

• • REBT stresses identifying irrational beliefs and replacing them with rational alternatives.
  • It’s used to cure various mental health issues like anxiety and anger issues.

• Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)

• • Primarily used for PTSD, CPT focuses on challenging and modifying unhelpful beliefs related to trauma.
  • These aid individuals in reframing traumatic memories and reducing distress.

• Exposure therapy

• • Exposure therapy involves gradual exposure to feared situations or stimuli and is often used to treat anxiety disorders and phobias, helping individuals reduce their anxiety over time.

• Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT)
  

• • Frequently employed for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, TF-CBT combines cognitive and behavioral techniques with trauma-sensitive strategies to process traumatic experiences and develop coping skills.

• Behavioral activation (BA)

• • Behavioral activation is mainly used for depression and focuses on increasing engagement in activities that improve mood and reduce avoidance behaviors.

• Metacognitive therapy (MCT)

• • MCT tries to change the way people think about their reasoning patterns and is notably useful for conditions like generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

• Problem-solving therapy (PST)
  

• • A structured approach that’s mostly used to treat stress-related conditions and aids individuals in developing practical problem-solving skills to manage difficulties.

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

• • While not strictly CBT, EMDR includes CBT elements and highlights assisting individuals in processing traumatic memories by using bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements).
  • It’s widely used for PTSD.

• Compassion-focused therapy (CFT)
  

• • This approach helps to develop self-compassion to reduce self-criticism and shame, making it beneficial for people who experience high levels of shame and self-criticism.

• Self-instructional training (SIT)

• • This method is commonly used in children and involves teaching individuals to guide their behavior through internal speech, improving self-regulation and coping skills in the process.

• Functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP)

• • FAP focuses on improving interpersonal functioning by bringing awareness to how clients relate to others, making it useful for relationship issues and social anxiety.

• Cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP)

• • CBASP is developed for chronic depression and concentrates on interpersonal interactions and the consequences of actions.
  • This helps clients understand and change unhelpful behavioral patterns.