Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the principle that we can control the exterior factors (like everyday life events that could have a negative influence upon us) through positive thoughts and an optimistic view of life. In this way, thoughts become the media through which exterior stimuli and emotions can be balanced. This can be obtained because psychologists show us that it is not the stimulus itself that influences us, but the way in which we consciously evaluate the stimulus and turn it into emotions.

As our evaluations of the exterior reality are the thoughts themselves, we have the power to change the thoughts in order to promote positive emotions in us. The person that undergoes this kind of therapy will become aware of his thoughts and able to change them in order to obtain an emotional balance. However, this is possible mostly because external stimuli distort or fell to reflect the reality the way it really is.

For example, if one goes to an interview for a job and he or she is turned down, it is very likely that the person will consider himself or herself not good enough to occupy the position wanted in the company. If the individual sees things this way, he or she will get depressed and may never compete for a job. But if he/she thinks that he was simply not fit for the job because the company looked for people with other abilities, he/she will get over the refusal and her emotional balance will not be affected.

The first step in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is to make the client aware of the fact that exterior events or stimuli are sometimes perceived by them as distorted - as they do not reflect reality in an accurate way. This is why the client can and should intervene upon negative thoughts and feelings and correct them. Reality is associated to objectivity, while the way we perceive the stimuli is subjective. If we cannot look at reality objectively, than we should perceive it in a subjective manner that works well for us and will not hurt us.

The therapist must have the ability of empathy, as he has to see things from the client's point of view. After he does this, he will explain to the patient that this is not the appropriate way of seeing external stimuli. After this task is successfully carried out, the patient will be taught that he can control his opinions, thoughts and therefore his feelings.

The technique presented above is linked with the cognitive therapy. The behavioral part of the therapy is also tightly connected with the other cognitive half. Cognition relates to the way in which the patient perceives external stimuli. If the therapist succeeds in making him understand that he can control and correct negative feelings and turn them into positive ones, than his whole behavior will be changed. It is obvious that a person that exhibits a positive view of life will behave in a more optimist manner.

For example, if a person has been previously deceived in love he could consider that this is going to happen all the time and he will always have failed relationships. But if the therapist makes him see that the way he thinks is wrong and he will meet partners that will understand and stand by him, the whole behavior of the patient will be changed. He will start to date again and have more trust in the others.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is successfully used to treat emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, stress, panic, all kinds of phobias (agoraphobia, for example), obsessive-compulsive behavior, insomnia, eating disorders, abuse or addiction to all kinds of substances such as alcohol, drugs etc.