Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

[Page 391]Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is most likely the most evidence-based form of psychological treatment and is an umbrella term for a range of approaches and procedures derived from behavioral and cognitive theory. Early forms of psychological treatment were focused on one-to-one psychotherapy in the first part of the 1900s, but modern CBT is characterized by different approaches and delivery methods. The basic idea is to use research findings from psychology to inform treatment; many CBT researchers investigate psychological mechanisms and processes behind disorders (e.g., selective attention to threat in anxiety disorders). This entry briefly reviews the background and history of CBT, describes what it is, and discusses its applications with communication disorders.