CBT focuses on the impact that thoughts have on behavior and feelings and encourages the use of rational thought to alter perceptions and behavior. Which therapy is described?

• A. EMDR
• B. CBT
• C. Psychoanalysis
• D. Psychodynamic Therapy

Answer: (B)

The description aligns with cognitive-behavioral therapy, which treats thoughts as the primary driver of feelings and actions. In CBT, you identify automatic or distorted thoughts, challenge them with rational evidence, and replace them with more accurate beliefs. This process changes how you interpret situations, reducing distress and leading to more adaptive behaviors. Techniques like cognitive restructuring, behavioral experiments, and homework are all about practicing these changes in real-life situations and are focused on present problems and practical solutions.

EMDR targets distress from traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation rather than a structured process of changing thought content to shift perception. Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy emphasize exploration of unconscious processes, past experiences, and long-term insight, not the direct, present-focused cognitive restructuring that alters behavior through rational thought.