CBT Techniques - Cognitive Restructuring Flashcards
What is the primary objective of cognitive restructuring?
To change the distorted, unhelpful thoughts to more balanced, realistic thoughts.
How is cognitive restructuring achieved?
It is usually achieved by a structured process that is facilitated by the use of Socratic questioning.
What does Socratic questioning involve?
It involves the counsellor asking questions that allow the client to explore underlying assumptions and logical contradictions in their statements.
What are the two aims of Socratic questioning
1: to help the client make connections between thoughts and the behavioural consequences of those thoughts.
2: to help the client identify different ways of thinking and new possibilities for action.
What are the three key steps in cognitive restructuring?
1: identifying the key negative thoughts or beliefs.
2: testing them for evidence, accuracy, and value
3: modifying or replacing the key negative thoughts.
1: Identifying the key negative thoughts or beliefs - how to identify negative automatic thoughts.
Automatic thoughts tend to:
- be short and specific
- occur extremely quickly after the event
- occur as word or images
- not arise from careful logical thought but seem reasonable at the time.
How can Counsellors track and bring automatic thoughts to a clients attention in a counselling session?
By observing client body language and changes in the clients mood or emotions.
What is an automatic “hot” thought?
An automatic thought that occurs in combination with a change in emotion or mood.
What are automatic “hot” thoughts often associated with?
They are often associated with unhelpful core beliefs.
What are some non -verbal cues to identify “hot” automatic thoughts?
Increased volume of speech
Fidgeting
Changes in facial expression
Shifts in position
Hand movements
Tone, pitch, volume, and pace of client speech. X
How can the client be encouraged to continue this process outside of the counselling session?
Through the use of a thought diary.
2: testing thoughts for evidence, accuracy and value. What is the next step?
Once dysfunctional automatic thoughts and possible core beliefs are identified, along with the accompanying emotion that these evoke, the next step is to challenge them by generating evidence for and against them.
How can building evidence be facilitated?
Through asking questions.
- what evidence is there that this is true?
- what evidence is there that this is not true?
- what would I tell someone I loved if they were in this situation and had these thoughts?
- if my automatic thoughts are true, what is the worst that could happen?
- if my automatic thought is true, what is the best thing that could happen?
3: does modifying or replacing the key negative thoughts or beliefs with more balanced and realistic thoughts mean creating random positive ones?
No. Cognitive restructuring involves replacing the negative thoughts with more realistic, balanced ones. This does not involve creating random positive thoughts or opposite thoughts, but rather identifying more balanced thoughts that take into account factual, realistic information rather than relying on subjective emotion.
How can thought records help?
Thought records can be used to test the validity of thoughts and then to modify these thoughts. Often achieved via the use of questioning.
What are the headings in a thought record?
1: evidence for
2: evidence against
3 evidence based thought (consider the evidence. What balanced thought would be more helpful?)
4: what do you feel now? How intense 0-100%
What does cognitive restructuring target?
It targets the thought component of a clients presenting difficulty by helping the client identify, challenge and replace negative automatic thoughts and beliefs that drive emotional states.
