What is the primary goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?

• A. Psychoanalytic exploration of unconscious conflicts
• B. Action therapy in which the goal is to help clients overcome problems by learning to think more rationally and logically
• C. Exposure therapy only for phobias
• D. Medication management

Answer: (B)

CBT centers on how our thoughts shape our feelings and actions, and it trains people to identify distorted thinking, test its accuracy, and replace it with more rational, adaptive thoughts. The primary goal is to help clients overcome problems by learning to think more rationally and logically and to apply practical skills that change behavior and reduce distress. This makes CBT an active, structured, skills-based approach that uses techniques like cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and guided exposure when appropriate, all aimed at producing real-world improvements. Other approaches focus on uncovering unconscious conflicts from early life, which isn’t the aim of CBT; exposure is a technique used within CBT, not the sole objective, and medication management involves pharmacotherapy rather than psychotherapy.