What is the central aim of cognitive therapy?

• A. To modify distorted thoughts and beliefs that lead to emotional distress.
• B. To eliminate all emotional responses.
• C. To uncover unconscious childhood memories.
• D. To teach relaxation techniques only.

Answer: (A)

The main idea behind cognitive therapy is that emotional distress comes from the way we think about events, not from the events themselves. The goal is to identify distorted or unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, examine the evidence for and against them, and replace them with more balanced, adaptive interpretations. Through recognizing automatic negative thoughts, learning to challenge cognitive distortions, and testing beliefs with real-life experiments, people experience changes in mood and behavior as their thinking shifts. Relaxation techniques can be helpful, but they don’t address the underlying thinking patterns driving distress. Uncovering unconscious childhood memories belongs to different therapeutic approaches, and the aim is not to eliminate emotions but to reduce distress by altering thoughts that fuel them.