Common Myths About CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most well-researched and widely used forms of therapy today, but there are still lots of misconceptions around it. Assumptions and myths about CBT may prevent people from exploring a treatment that could help them.
For our latest blog, we sat down with Dr. Naomi Ennis, Psychologist, and Regional Clinical and Training Lead for the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program in Brampton-Halton-Mississauga (OSP-BHM) at CarePoint Health, to debunk common myths about CBT.
What exactly is CBT?
CBT is a type of therapy that helps people understand how their thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected. There are specific CBT treatments for different concerns – it’s helpful to think of CBT as an ‘umbrella term’ for various treatments.
First things first – CBT is not “positive thinking”. Sometimes the way we think can make us feel even worse or lead us to do things that keep our problems going. In CBT, you work as a team with your therapist and take a deeper look at the pattern of habits, thinking, and emotions that may keep you feeling stuck.
This type of therapy is practical and focused on learning how to shift the way you respond to stress, challenging moods or anxiety. CBT allows you to gain skills and gives you tools for ongoing management.
What are common myths?
- CBT just teaches you to “think positively”
- CBT ignores your feelings
- CBT only focuses on the present and doesn’t care about your past
- CBT is a “one-size fits all” or robotic/cookie-cutter
- CBT is “all about homework”
- CBT is too simple for complicated problems
Myth: CBT just teaches you to “think positively”
Fact: CBT isn’t about pretending everything’s fine or forcing happy thoughts. It’s about learning to notice when your mind gets stuck in unhelpful patterns and remembering that thoughts aren’t facts. CBT gives you tools to step back, look at the evidence, and see things from a more balanced perspective.
Over time, CBT can help you to respond to challenges with more flexibility and with a calmer approach. This approach doesn’t make you ignore the hard stuff; instead, it allows you to see things more clearly.
Myth: CBT is too simple for complicated problems
Fact: CBT may seem simple, but it’s a flexible and evidence-based approach that can be adapted for complex challenges like trauma, obsessive-compulsive concerns, or chronic stress. While CBT methods may seem simple, using them takes insight, practice, and courage — that’s what makes CBT a powerful therapeutic approach.
Myth: CBT ignores emotions
Fact: CBT places emotions at the centre of the work. It helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours all connect — and how changing one can shift the others.
Rather than pushing emotions away, CBT teaches you how to notice, name, and respond to them in healthier ways. Many people find that understanding the thoughts behind their feelings makes their emotions easier to manage.
Myth: CBT only focuses on the present and doesn’t care about your past
Fact: Indeed, CBT often focuses on what’s happening in your life right now — your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. But that doesn’t mean your past is ignored or unimportant.
In CBT, the past is explored when it helps you understand patterns that still affect you today. For example, you and your therapist might look at where certain beliefs or coping styles began — perhaps in childhood, in past relationships, or during a stressful time in your life. The goal isn’t to stay in the past, but to understand how it shapes your present and how you can move forward differently.
Key takeaways
It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has different lived experiences and needs. While some people may be successful using CBT as a form of therapeutic treatment, other people may need other supports.
Research finds that CBT is often the first recommended approach for treating many mental health concerns. CBT is not a quick fix, and it takes consistency and commitment for it to be successful. Keep in mind that healing takes time – but it is not impossible to reach goals using this approach.
If you or someone you know is experiencing sadness, feeling worried or even stuck, these could be signs that therapy can help. The OSP program offers a range of mental health services based in CBT. Our therapists listen to you and match you to the service and care that best meet your needs.
Interested in learning more? Visit OSPcarepointhealth.ca
