What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

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Cognitive behavioral therapy is useful in creating lasting changes.

Your thoughts affect your feelings and actions.

Becoming your best self is fully within your control.

Changing is easier when you have a clear goal that you never abandon.

The first step in evolving through life is a mental activity called contemplation. According to the Transtheoretical Model, a leading model of change in human development, change follows a specific trajectory. The journey begins with the shift from not thinking about change to contemplating that it could happen. For many, change may involve a home project, like painting a bathroom or clearing out unwanted items. For most, these kinds of external changes rely on goal setting, planning, and then the action stage of doing the physical work.

Perhaps you want to make a change in your life that does not involve external actions whatsoever. For example, perhaps you wish to become more forgiving, let go of resentments, or set a boundary in a relationship. All of these items are within our ability to achieve. Personal, intrinsic changes follow the same pattern as changes in the external world; however, unlike physical changes, they require frequent reminders of the goal. “My goal is to make peace in my life” or “My goal is to stop punishing myself.”

Setting a goal for change typically starts with the need to eliminate deeply held, unpleasant feelings. Many people are currently suffering........

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