CBT — principles and practice

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy rests on a precise observation: thoughts are not facts, and the interpretation of events — not the events themselves — generates emotional responses. This structural insight is not new; the Sutras identify viparyaya (false perception) as a primary category of citta's fluctuations causing suffering. CBT's distinctive contribution is a set of concrete, testable interventions for identifying and revising distorted thought patterns, with an evidence base across more conditions than any other psychotherapy.