What is the purpose of cognitive strategies in therapy?

• A. To reinforce unchanged beliefs to maintain emotional state.
• B. To increase reliance on external explanations.
• C. To alter negative beliefs that lead to emotional distress.
• D. To ignore cognitive processes and focus only on behavior.

Answer: (C)

Changing how we think is the key mechanism for reducing distress in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive strategies are used to alter negative, distorted beliefs that lead to emotional upset by helping the person identify automatic thoughts, examine the evidence for and against them, and develop more balanced interpretations. When these beliefs are challenged and updated, emotional responses become more adaptive even in the same situations. This is why the best choice is to target and modify those distorted beliefs rather than reinforce them, rely on external explanations, or ignore cognition and focus only on behavior.