Cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT) aim to deal with the mental suffering of patients through a methodology directly derived from the experimental method applied to the individual case of a person. 
They propose a model of human functioning based on learning theories. Thus, the basic principle of CBTs considers that maladaptive behaviour (a phobia, for example) is based on learning linked to previous experiences experienced by the subject during similar situations. 
Cognitive-behavioural therapies, therefore, aim to replace the subject’s maladaptive behaviour with behaviour that is more adapted to his or her environment through new learning.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy is intended for people with anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias (social or specific), or obsessive-compulsive disorders.
It is also effective for patients with depression, sleep disorders and eating disorders. 

Finally, children are also potential patients for CBT to accompany them in the face of school phobias, behavioural disorders, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders.