cognitive therapy n psychotherapy esp. for depression that emphasizes the substitution of desirable patterns of thinking for maladaptive or faulty ones compare BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION
cognitive therapist n
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a form of psychotherapy based on the belief that psychological problems are the products of faulty ways of thinking about the world. For example, a depressed patient may have come to see him- or herself as powerless to change in any way. The therapist assists the patient to identify these false ways of thinking and to avoid them.
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cognitive behavior therapy a directive form of psychotherapy based on the theory that emotional problems result from distorted attitudes and ways of thinking that can be corrected. Using techniques drawn in part from behavior therapy, the therapist actively seeks to guide the patient in altering or revising negative or erroneous perceptions and attitudes.Medical dictionary. 2011.