What is CBT?: the essentials of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Reviewed By
Donna Bottomley - Psychotherapist, MBABCP accredited, 10+ years in CBT and EMDR
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective and widely used approaches for improving mental health. This mini course will give you a clear, simple introduction to how CBT works, why it’s so powerful, and how it can help with everyday challenges like stress, anxiety, or low mood.
Free to try · Responses are private & encrypted
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What does the What is CBT? Mini Course cover?
What CBT is and how it works, the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviour, what to expect from CBT-based therapy, and the core techniques you will meet along the way.
Who is this What is CBT? Mini Course for?
Helpful if you:
🆕 Are considering or starting therapy
🤔 Want to know how CBT actually works
📚 Like to understand the approach before diving in
For therapists:
Assign this course to new clients as pre-therapy psychoeducation so early sessions can focus on their situation rather than explaining the model. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
What is a Thought Record in CBT?
A Thought Record is a structured CBT exercise that helps you identify automatic negative thoughts, examine the evidence for and against them, and develop a more balanced perspective. It is recommended in NICE guidelines for anxiety and depression. On Offload it is interactive, guided, and can be shared directly with your therapist.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). "Cognitive Therapy of Depression." New York: Guilford Press. This is considered the foundational text that established CBT as we know it today, particularly for treating depression. Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). "The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses." Clinical Psychology Review, 26(1), 17-31. A comprehensive review that analyzed the effectiveness of CBT across various conditions. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). "The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses." Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440. This meta-analysis examined the evidence base for CBT across multiple disorders. Clark, D. M. (1986). "A cognitive approach to panic." Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24(4), 461-470. A seminal paper that helped establish CBT's effectiveness for anxiety and panic disorders. Dobson, K. S. (1989). "A meta-analysis of the efficacy of cognitive therapy for depression." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57(3), 414-419. One of the earlier meta-analyses that helped establish CBT's effectiveness for depression. DeRubeis, R. J., Hollon, S. D., Amsterdam, J. D., Shelton, R. C., Young, P. R., Salomon, R. M., ... & Gallop, R. (2005). "Cognitive therapy vs medications in the treatment of moderate to severe depression." Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(4), 409-416. A landmark study comparing CBT to medication for depression treatment. Barlow, D. H., Allen, L. B., & Choate, M. L. (2004). "Toward a unified treatment for emotional disorders." Behavior Therapy, 35(2), 205-230. An influential paper that helped extend CBT principles across different types of emotional disorders.
