Scientific Foundations
CBT — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) emerged in the 1960s, developed by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, a psychiatrist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He introduced it as a structured, short-term approach to help people understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact.
CBT is a practical, goal-oriented approach that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are connected. It teaches you how to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and build healthier habits that support your mental well-being. By learning how to notice and shift the way you respond to your inner world, CBT gives you clear tools to reduce emotional suffering and build more balanced, sustainable ways of coping with life’s challenges.
DBT — Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was developed in the late 1980s by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, a psychologist and researcher at the University of Washington. As a teenager, Linehan experienced deep emotional suffering and spent time in psychiatric hospitals, where she felt misunderstood and untreated. Years later, she developed DBT to offer the kind of support she wished she had received.
DBT combines acceptance and change — helping people acknowledge their pain while also learning to respond to it differently. It focuses on building skills for emotion regulation, mindfulness, communication, and distress tolerance — tools that help you stay steady even in tough moments.
What makes DBT unique is its ability to meet people exactly where they are — offering practical tools without judgment, and real hope for those who often feel misunderstood.
ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed in the 1980s by psychologist Steven C. Hayes, is a science-backed approach that helps you make space for difficult thoughts and emotions instead of constantly battling them. ACT is built on the idea that discomfort and pain are part of being human — but they don’t have to control your life.
Rather than avoiding or suppressing what you feel, ACT teaches you how to respond with awareness, stay connected to what matters most, and take action that aligns with your values. It’s not about controlling your inner world — it’s about learning how to live well alongside it.