What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

The Core Idea

CBT is built on the idea that thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions affect one another. A thought like "I am going to mess this up" can bring anxiety, tension, and a choice to avoid the situation. Avoiding may feel better in the moment while reinforcing the original thought. CBT looks at these connections in specific situations so you can find places to respond differently. Small shifts in one area can affect the others.

Focused on the Present

Your history matters, and it may come up in therapy. CBT usually spends most of its time on what is happening now: the patterns showing up this week, at school, at work, or in relationships. Sessions often have a loose agenda that you shape together. That focus can help therapy feel organized and connected to your everyday life. Goals are revisited along the way so the work stays relevant as things change in your life.

Collaborative by Design

In CBT, the therapist and client work as a team. Marie brings knowledge of the approach, and you bring knowledge of your own life. Together you set goals, decide what to look at, and choose what to try between sessions. You are encouraged to give feedback about what is and is not helpful, and the plan can change based on that feedback. It is your therapy, and your input shapes it.

Skills You Can Use Outside Sessions

CBT includes practical tools, such as writing out thoughts in a structured way, planning small behavioral experiments, and building routines that support your goals. The intention is for you to understand the methods well enough to use them on your own. Practice between sessions is common, but it is planned together and adjusted to what is realistic for you. Over time, many people find they reach for these tools more naturally in difficult moments.

Working With Marie

Marie Sarte, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in Oregon who uses a practical, collaborative CBT approach. She works with Portland area teens, young adults, college students, and adults, online across Oregon and with current Portland office availability to ask about. A free 15-minute consultation is a good time to ask questions about the approach. You can ask how sessions are structured, how goals are set, and what a typical early session looks like before deciding whether to begin.

Questions You May Have