What is cognitive behavioral therapy? A guide to CBT

CareOps editorial team · October 9, 2026 · 7 min read

General information and service guidance published by CareOps. This is not an individual diagnosis or treatment plan.

Translated from our Korean guide. Korean public services, insurance, and helpline numbers refer to South Korea. For urgent help elsewhere, contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your country.

When looking for counseling or treatment, you most often come across the term ‘cognitive behavioral therapy.’ The name is stiff, but what it does is simple. I look at the thoughts that passed through my head during difficult moments and the actions I took afterwards, and try to do them a little differently.

What is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) starts from the idea that how you interpret an event influences your feelings and actions. If your manager replies late, thinking “They must be busy” may let you move on; thinking “My report must have been terrible” may make you anxious and delay your next report.

Rather than delving into the past for a long time, this treatment focuses on recurring loops. It is different from other counseling in that you set a goal, decide what to cover in each session, and have tasks to do between sessions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Method: What We Actually Do in Sessions

Thought Record Example

The goal is not to change your thoughts to positive ones. Confirming that the first thought that crossed your mind is not the only explanation. It's okay if the number of emotions doesn't reach 0. When you go from 80 to 50, your next actions change.

How effective is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the treatment with the most research among psychological treatments. A 2012 overview paper (Hofmann et al.), which found 269 meta-analyses and reviewed 106 of them, concluded that the evidence was particularly solid in anxiety disorders, physical symptoms, binge eating, anger management, and stress.

A meta-analysis of adult depression (Cuijpers et al., 2013) found substantial improvement with CBT compared with no treatment, with no significant differences from other psychotherapies. Adding CBT to medication was more effective than medication alone. CBT is not the only answer, but it is among the approaches for which what it helps and by how much are well studied.

How many times and how long does it take

The British National Health Service (NHS) advises usually 5 to 15 sessions depending on the type of difficulty. We usually meet once a week, and between sessions we have assignments to write down our thoughts or do something we've been avoiding. Real change happens between sessions rather than within them.

Cognitive behavioral therapy cost and health insurance

In South Korea, from July 1, 2018, national health insurance began covering CBT for depression, panic disorder, and PTSD in psychiatric care. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's announcement reported prior out-of-pocket costs of KRW 50,000–260,000 per session and an example follow-up cost of KRW 16,500 at a clinic after coverage. These are figures from the 2018 announcement, not current price quotes.

The amount is adjusted every year and varies depending on the size of the hospital and the number of first and repeat visits. There are also criteria for the number of times health insurance applies, so when making a reservation, ask whether cognitive behavioral therapy is provided and the cost. Cognitive behavioral therapy received at a private psychological counseling center is not covered by health insurance. Counseling center costs and support systems are summarized in Psychological Counseling Cost Article.

Is it right for me?

• When it works well — When the chain is relatively clear, such as recurring worry, avoidance, or procrastination. A person who is comfortable with specific methods and tasks.
• When another path may be better — When you need a place to listen more than the other way, or when you need to tell the story of a relationship or loss at length.
• Cases to go together — If the symptoms are severe and make daily life difficult, look into medical treatment and drug treatment together.

In any treatment, whether the therapist is suitable plays a large role in the outcome. After meeting two or three times, see if you feel like you can be honest here.

Can you try it by yourself?

For mild difficulties, self-practice using books or apps can also be helpful. In a meta-analysis of 66 randomized clinical trials of smartphone app-based interventions (Linardon et al., 2019), apps showed a small but significant effect on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Rather than replacing treatment, it is correct to view it as a tool to continue practice while waiting for treatment or between sessions.

With CareOps' Maeumi, you can have conversations based on evidence-based treatment methods, including cognitive behavioral therapy, and record your thoughts and make small action plans together. Maeumi does not diagnose or prescribe medication. The criteria to consider when choosing AI counseling are summarized separately in AI Psychological Counseling Article.

This article provides general information, not diagnosis or treatment. For urgent help, contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your country. In South Korea, the suicide prevention helpline is 109 (24 hours), and the mental health crisis line is 1577-0199.