How does cognitive behavioral therapy relate to philosophical ideas?

Cognitive behavioral therapy draws heavily from ancient philosophical traditions, particularly Stoic philosophy. The Stoics, especially Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca, argued that people are not disturbed by events themselves but by their judgments and interpretations of those events. This idea sits at the core of CBT, which holds that distorted or unhelpful thoughts drive emotional distress and problematic behavior. Albert Ellis, one of CBT's founders, explicitly acknowledged Stoic philosophy as a major influence when developing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. CBT also connects to broader philosophical ideas about rationality, the examined life from Socrates, and phenomenology's focus on subjective experience. Essentially, CBT translates philosophical insights about the relationship between thought and human suffering into structured clinical techniques.