Thinking Traps: Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of short-term, skill-based psychological treatment that significant research shows can alleviate anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and severe mental illness. CBT focuses on the interconnected relationship between the following three components – one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. CBT suggests that how we feel emotionally is based on our thoughts and our behaviors. This type of therapy can benefit individuals of all ages – childhood, adolescence, young adults through older adults – and it can be facilitated in a therapy office or via telehealth services.

A common myth is that a stressful event is what primarily influences our emotional experience. Yes, a stressful event can cause problematic issues; however, actually, it is our thoughts and behaviors in response to the event that are the primary influencers on our emotional experience. So, making changes in our thoughts and/or behaviors can create a change in our emotions, and making changes in our emotions can create a change in our thoughts and/or behaviors.

What are automatic thoughts?

Automatic thoughts are the immediate, reflexive thoughts that one has throughout the day. Individuals are often unaware of the initial automatic thought because of the busy dynamic of our thinking patterns as well as how our brain filters outside information. CBT suggests that automatic thoughts have a profound impact on our emotional experience of the world. For example, in response to not getting a promotion, one can have the thought of “I’m a total failure”. Through insight and practice, individuals can become more aware of their automatic thoughts and begin to see the influence it has not only on our ongoing pattern of thinking however also on their emotions and behaviors. So if you find yourself noticing an intense negative emotion, try to pause and challenge yourself one step further by exploring the potential automatic thoughts you had that impacted this negative emotion.

What is cognitive restructuring?

Cognitive restructuring is a skill to (1) identify an ineffective, maladaptive pattern of thinking, and (2) restructure and revise into a more effective, healthier pattern of thinking. A common myth is that cognitive restructuring is correcting your thoughts to be positive rather than negative. However, actually, the skill of cognitive restructuring is creating a point of view that considers both negative and positive perspectives, is flexible and balanced, and is effective in helping you reach your goal. The identification of your automatic thought in response to an event is the stepping stone to then consider alternative perspectives and thoughts. In continuation with the example above, an alternative thought to not getting a promotion could be “This is just one setback. Other opportunities for advancement will arise”.

What are cognitive distortions?

Cognitive Distortions are habits or patterns in our thinking that influence and unfortunately can limit our ability to identify and consider all perspectives. Another word for cognitive distortions are thinking traps. All individuals experience cognitive distortions however having the skill to catch yourself in these patterns can help your point of view as well as help your emotional and behavioral health. Once you become more aware of your thinking traps, continue practicing cognitive restructuring in response.

See below for common cognitive distortions:

Jumping to Conclusions – when you make an assumption without knowing if there is evidence to support it

Catastrophizing – when you expect the worst-case scenario to happen and that it’s the only outcome

All-or-Nothing Thinking – when you see things as either all good or all bad, no gray areas in between

Emotional Reasoning – when you think that because you feel something then it must be true

Negative Filtering/Discounting the Positives – when you focus only on the negative details of a situation, and filter out or ignore the positive details

Magnification – when you exaggerate the importance of negative events

Minimization – when you minimize the significance of positive events

Overgeneralizing – when a single negative event occurs and you believe it’s a pattern

“Should”-ing – when you have rules or expectations of how things or people should be

Labeling – when you label yourself or someone negatively

Mindreading – when you assume you know what others are thinking or feeling

Fortune telling – when you make predictions about what is going to happen in the future

Personalization – when you feel personally responsible for things you can’t control

What outside tools and resources are helpful to use?

1. Mindfulness exercises can help increase awareness of our present thoughts. Additionally, an important component of mindfulness practice is noticing our thoughts non-judgmentally.
2. Keep record of your emotions through mood tracking and thoughts through a thought record. This tool can be facilitated through a chart or through journaling, on paper or virtually. It is important to be aware of our tone and language used within our thoughts.
3. Practice Socratic Questioning with your identified automatic thoughts. This process can help challenge the automatic thought and consider other balanced, more flexible perspectives.
4. Get support from a therapist who is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Communication with these supports can help you with the identification of emotions and thoughts, consider alternative and objective perspectives, and seek out more balanced and flexible interpretations. Our trained professionals at the Lukin Center are here to support you through this journey. Contact us today!