Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
A free CBT app for reframing anxious thoughts
Araam is a free CBT app you can open in your browser: write a thought record, name the distortion behind an anxious thought, build a balanced alternative, and watch your mood data change over the following weeks. No subscription, no trial, no account required to start.
What is CBT, in one paragraph?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is built on a simple observation: what you think about a situation shapes how you feel and what you then do. Anxiety and low mood are kept alive by habitual, exaggerated interpretations — thinking traps — and by avoidance. CBT works by making those thoughts visible on paper, testing them against the evidence, and gradually changing behavior so the fearful prediction gets a chance to be disproved. It is one of the most extensively studied talking therapies for anxiety and depression.
The CBT tools inside Araam
Thought record & reframing
Write the situation, the automatic thought and the emotion, then name the distortion and craft a balanced alternative — the classic CBT 7-column thought record, guided step by step.
Guided CBT wizard
A short, question-by-question version of the thought record for moments when a blank page feels like too much.
Mood & behavior tracking
Daily mood check-ins and habit logs give you the behavioral half of CBT: seeing which activities actually shift how you feel.
AI companion with CBT prompts
A warm chat that asks Socratic questions — evidence for, evidence against, what you'd tell a friend — instead of handing out advice.
How to complete a thought record
1. Capture the situation
Note what happened, where you were and who was involved — facts only, no interpretation.
2. Write the automatic thought
Record the exact sentence that ran through your mind, and rate how strongly you believe it (0–100%).
3. Name the emotion
Label the feeling — anxious, ashamed, angry — and rate its intensity.
4. Spot the distortion
Check the thought against common thinking traps such as catastrophizing or mind reading.
5. Weigh the evidence
List what supports the thought and what contradicts it, as if you were advising a friend.
6. Write a balanced thought
Compose a fairer version you can actually believe, then re-rate the emotion and see what shifted.
Six thinking traps to look for
- All-or-nothing thinking
- “If it isn't perfect, it's a failure.”
- Catastrophizing
- “This headache is probably something terrible.”
- Mind reading
- “They didn't reply — they must be annoyed with me.”
- Overgeneralization
- “I messed up once, so I always mess up.”
- Should statements
- “I should be further along by now.”
- Emotional reasoning
- “I feel useless, so I must be useless.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Araam really a free CBT app?
Yes. Thought records, the guided CBT wizard, mood tracking and the AI companion are all free to use, with no subscription or trial. You can start as a guest and create an account later if you want your entries synced.
What is a CBT thought record?
A thought record is the core CBT worksheet. You write down a triggering situation, the automatic thought it produced, the emotion and its intensity, the thinking distortion involved, the evidence for and against the thought, and finally a more balanced alternative. Doing this repeatedly trains you to catch and question unhelpful thoughts as they happen.
Can a CBT app replace therapy?
No. Araam is a self-help tool for practicing CBT skills between sessions or on your own. It is not a diagnosis, not treatment, and not a substitute for a licensed therapist. If you are in crisis or your symptoms are severe, contact a professional or your local emergency service.
How long does it take to see a difference?
Most CBT self-help protocols suggest several short sessions a week. Completing one thought record on difficult days and a daily mood check-in for a few weeks is usually enough to notice patterns in your thinking and in what lifts your mood.
Does it work on my phone?
Araam runs in any modern browser and installs as a progressive web app on iOS and Android, so your thought records are one tap away. It also works offline and syncs when you reconnect.
Are my thought records private?
Your entries are yours. Journal-style content can be locked behind an app lock, and you can use the tools as a guest without an account at all.
Araam is a self-help tool, not a medical service. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a replacement for a licensed therapist. If you are in crisis, contact your local emergency service.