Cognitive-behavioral therapy
CBT targets different kinds of maladaptive thinking. The goal is to recognise unhealthy thoughts and develop them into positive thinking patterns. In that sense, CBT is scientific because irrational beliefs are thought of as theories which are tested to see if they are true. CBT is structured in that it uses an ABC format. A represents the activating event which triggers B, your beliefs. This is followed by C, the consequences, which are your actions. Beliefs are composed of different types of thinking. Some examples include catastrophising where small problems are blown out of proportion and all-or-nothing thinking which involves thinking in extremes. When creating solutions, the therapist and patient need to come to an agreement on attainable goals. They follow a criteria which is characterised as SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited. Specific and measurable highlight the science behind CBT as the goals are used to test the "hypothesis". Achievable, realistic and time-limited ensure that the patient makes small stages of progress through the intervention.