Pioneered in the early 1960’s by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, M.D. (under whom Dr. Reilly studied), CT is a relatively fast, pragmatic type of treatment focused on the present and on results. Essentially, it is a method that identifies thoughts that produce negative or painful feelings that are both disturbing and inhibiting and changing those thoughts to produce positive results in emotions and behavior.
It is, indeed, one of today is most effective and preferred approaches to psychotherapy and is practiced widely throughout the United States and the world.