Basic Principles

1. Cognitive function influences behavior.

2. Cognitive function can be changed & controlled.

3. Desired changes in behavior can be influenced by cognitive changes.

4. Therapeutic improvement is a function of changing the person's way of thinking, perceptions and beliefs. .

5. The main goal of CBT is to challenge and reconstruct the individual's unrealistic beliefs.

6. Dysfunctional behavior is a result of the person's dysfunctional thought

7. A person is not what they feel, as the negative emotions they experience are directly influenced by the person's dysfunctional, negative, unrealistic thoughts. It is therefore necessary to identify, analyze, challenge and reconstruct these thoughts through the help of a therapist.