Which are core components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

• A. Psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure therapies.
• B. Psychoanalysis, dream interpretation, free association.
• C. Electroconvulsive therapy.
• D. Psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure therapies, skills training, and homework assignment.

Answer: (D)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is built from a set of practical techniques that help people change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through active, structured work. The best answer includes psychoeducation to help clients understand how thoughts influence emotions and behaviors, cognitive restructuring to identify and challenge distortions, and behavioral activation to increase engagement in rewarding activities. It also adds exposure therapies to reduce avoidance by gradually facing feared situations, skills training to build coping strategies, and homework assignments to practice skills between sessions. This combination reflects how CBT blends education, cognitive change, behavior change, and real-life practice to produce lasting improvement. The other options mix in approaches or techniques that aren’t part of CBT (like psychoanalysis or dream interpretation) or omit essential elements such as homework and skills training.