Research & Development

Advancing the Science of Behavioral Change Through Real World Results

At the CBQ Institute, we conduct research on cognitive, behavioral, and identity-based habit change and develop science-based tools that translate into practical strategies for lasting change.

Our findings directly inform the development and refinement of the CBQ Method, our proprietary 4-stage behavioral change process. As we track outcomes across our programs, we continuously refine both the method and its delivery, creating a continuous cycle of research, application, and improvement.

Our work is grounded in cognitive-behavioral psychology for cognitive restructuring and behavioral modification. It also draws from neuroscience, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis, social psychology, and real-world evidence from thousands of members worldwide.

We strive to deepen the world’s understanding of how habits are transformed and to develop science-based, human-centered methods that help people change their lives from the inside out without relying on medication.

Our research is self-funded and internally conducted by the CBQ Institute. It is not clinical or medical research. External academic partnerships are in development.

Research Pillars of the CBQ Institute

Our research on the CBQ Method focuses on the following areas:

Cognitive-Behavioral Mechanisms

Addiction & Craving Psychology

Habit Loop Formation & Reprogramming

Identity Change & Self-Concept Transformation

Emotional Regulation and Resilience

Food Psychology & Eating Behavior Patterns

Neuroscience-Informed Habit Change Principles

These pillars guide our curriculum, assessments, and program structure.

How We Conduct Research

The CBQ Institute gathers data through:

Multi-stage follow-ups

We conduct structured check-ins with members:

  • immediately after program completion
  • 90 days post-completion
  • 6 months
  • 12 months
  • and annually thereafter

Before-and-after assessments

Participants complete proprietary multi-item psychometric assessments that measure psychological, behavioral, and identity-level changes before and after each program.

Behavioral tracking & narrative data

Collected through self-report measures, surveys, and structured reflections.

This blended quantitative and qualitative approach gives us a robust understanding of long-term behavioral change in real-world settings.

Our Pioneering Contributions to Behavioral Science

For over a decade, the CBQ Institute has developed proprietary psychological frameworks that form the foundation of the CBQ Method. Our central contribution is the identification and mapping of the four stages of change the mind goes through when adopting or breaking a habit.

The Four Stages of the CBQ Method™

The CBQ Method is built on four sequential stages that mirror the brain’s natural process of releasing an old habit and installing a new one. Each stage reflects established principles in cognitive-behavioral science, identity change theory, and neuroplasticity.

The four stages are:

  • Readiness Activation. The first stage, where motivation, identity readiness, and the decision to change begin to form.
  • Mental Reprogramming. The second stage, focuses on rewiring thought patterns and associations and releasing limiting beliefs.
  • Habit Reversal. The third stage, where the old habit and craving loop is replaced through behavioral and emotional retraining.
  • Freedom Conditioning. The fourth stage, where the new identity and long-term resilience are reinforced and maintained.

Together, these stages form a coherent, structured, and brain-aligned model of transformation.

This contribution, mapping the predictable phases the mind goes through when dissolving and replacing a habit, is foundational to the Institute’s work, providing a practical framework for habit change.

Additional Contributions

We have also developed several concepts that contribute to the CBQ Method’s effectiveness and advance modern understanding of cravings, habit loops, and addiction.

1. Silent Withdrawal™

A CBQ-identified framework that describes how to reduce the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal.

We use the term Silent Withdrawal™ to describe:

  • how irritability, brain fog, fatigue, and weight shifts arise
  • how cognitive restructuring with nutritional protocols reduce discomfort during nicotine withdrawal

CBQ is a proprietary method that systematically integrates behavioral, cognitive, and nutritional components into a unified withdrawal framework.

2. Mindpower™ Techniques

CBQ coined the term Mindpower™ as a way to dissolve cravings without willpower. We also developed a category of strategies that dissolve cravings without willpower by:

  • altering mental associations
  • using mindfulness-based redirection
  • applying cognitive shifts
  • employing pattern interruption
  • leveraging proprietary CBQ-specific mental exercises

Mindpower techniques work by changing the meaning of the craving, not by suppressing it.

3. Mental Cravings Model™

In our model, CBQ defines mental cravings as predictable thought patterns that fall into two categories:

a) Enhancement Thoughts

“Smoking will make this better.”
“This food will comfort me.”

b) Catastrophe Prevention Thoughts

“If I don’t smoke, I won’t cope.”
“If I don’t eat this, something bad will happen.”

These patterns are then mapped, studied, and transformed through cognitive-behavioral reframing and emotional regulation strategies.

CBQ’s contribution and definition of mental cravings as thought patterns is used by practitioners and members within and beyond our community.

Key Outcomes From CBQ Programs

(Measured Through Multi-Stage Follow-Ups)

CBQ Quit Smoking Program

In our internal evaluations, the CBQ Quit Smoking Program has a 94% self-reported success rate. This is based on multi-stage follow-up data self-reported by members at various key milestones post nicotine cessation, combined with a consistently low refund rate, where the majority of participants become smoke-free after completing the program on their first attempt and the rest typically succeed by their second or third attempt.

Outcomes are tracked through follow-up assessments conducted immediately after the program, and at 90 days, 6 months, 1 year, and annually thereafter, giving us a consistent internal dataset on long-term behavioral change in real-world settings.

CBQ Food Freedom Program

In our internal self-report data, 99% of members report meaningful improvements in their relationship with food, as measured by our proprietary 98-question psychometric assessment completed before and after the 12-week program.

This psychometric assessment evaluates meaningful change across nine key areas of behavioral and psychological transformation:

  • Mindset
  • Sense of Control
  • Body Signals & Interoceptive Awareness
  • Eating Habits & Rituals
  • Consistency & Sustainability
  • Social & Environmental Influences
  • Emotional Resilience & Coping Mechanisms
  • Body Image & Self-Perception
  • Self-Compassion & Internal Dialogue

This multi-dimensional assessment allows us to measure internal transformation that predicts sustainable weight loss and maintenance beyond the 12-week program.

Current Research Projects

We are actively conducting research on:

  1. Longitudinal outcomes of CBQ members over multiple years
  2. Multi-program transformation comparisons (smoking, eating, emotional habits, mental and emotional wellness changes)
  3. Advanced Mindpower strategies and craving dissolution
  4. Cognitive restructuring, behavioral modification and identity shift during and after habit change
  5. Nutritional influences on withdrawal symptoms and emotional stability
  6. Case series publication documenting qualitative transformation

Future Research Projects

The CBQ Institute is expanding its research capacity through:

  1. White paper development on the CBQ Method (Coming soon)
  2. Collaborations with universities and behavioral science researchers
  3. Practitioner certification research and development for CBQ-certified specialists

Our aim is to contribute meaningfully to the understanding of behavioral change and habit reprogramming in natural ways without medical intervention.

Our Commitment to Scientific Integrity

We adhere to principles of:

Responsible interpretation
Ethical data collection
Evidence-based development
Human-centered psychology
Protection of data and confidentiality

Everything we produce must be:

Responsible interpretation
Behaviorally effective
Repeatable and measurable
Learn more on our Ethics & Standards page

Supported by Evidence & Experience

Our work is supported by:

  • Academic cognitive-behavioral literature
  • Neuroscience-informed models
  • Behavioral science research
  • Emotional resilience theory
  • Real-world transformation data collected over more than a decade

We combine scientific grounding with practical, lived results. This ensures that the CBQ Institute remains dedicated to science-based transformation.

CBQ Institute Chief Researcher Nasia Davos (MBPsS, IPPA, BSc, MA)

Nasia Davos (MBPsS, IPPA, BSc, MA) is the creator of the CBQ Method and the Co-Founder of the CBQ Institute alongside Nicolaos Antipas (BSc, MSc) who oversees the Institute’s operations.

Nasia is a psychologist and behavioral change specialist with expertise in cognitive-behavioral processes, addiction psychology, and the neuroscience of habit formation.

She holds a Psychology degree grounded in scientific research, a Master’s degree in Psychoanalysis, and she is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. Nasia is a Licensed Master NLP Practitioner, a Certified NLP Life Coach, a Smoking Cessation Practitioner certified by the NSCST, and holds a Coaching Diploma from the University of Cambridge. She is also an author and TEDx speaker, with her talk on the psychology of quitting smoking viewed more than 900,000 times.

Her applied work includes thousands of hours coaching individuals on nicotine addiction, emotional eating, and complex habit patterns in both one-to-one and group settings.

As the Institute’s Chief Researcher, she oversees research standards, method evolution, practitioner training, and scientific direction.

Learn more about the Institute

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