Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps clients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviours. CBT is commonly used to treat a wide range of disorders including phobias, addiction, depression and anxiety. Cognitive behaviour therapy is generally short-term and focused on helping clients deal with a very specific problem. During the course of treatment, people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior. The underlying concept behind CBT is that our thoughts and feelings play a fundamental role in our behaviour.