Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) involves helping people modify their thoughts and beliefs in order to help them feel and function better. There is often an activating event that precipitates a thought/belief about oneself and/or a threatening stimulus. These thoughts become 'frozen in time' and internalized as truths, which often perpetuate fear and avoidance-type behaviors. Over time, however, behaviours and feelings also reinforce the thoughts and beliefs causing people to become stuck (see image). 

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CBT is an educational approach to counselling where clients are active agents in changing their thoughts/beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in order to become unstuck. In therapy, clients develop an appreciation for how robust their thoughts/beliefs are and how they have affected them, as well as, learn how to investigate, modify, and restructure their thought processes in order to prepare for behavioural change outside the therapy office (Greenberger & Padesky, 2016). 

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Reference

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Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (2016). Mind over mood: Change the way you feel by changing the way you think (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.