Activity

All-or-nothing thinking
Also called black-and-white, polarized, or dichotomous thinking. You view a situation in only two categories instead of on a continuum.
Example: “If I’m not a total success, I’m a failure.”
Catastrophizing (fortune-telling)
Also called fortune-telling. You predict the fu…

You can use any set of questions to help clients evaluate their thinking, but the lists can be helpful as they guide you and the client to

• examine the validity of the automatic thought,
• explore the possibility of other interpretations or viewpoints,
• decatastrophize the problem situation,…

Like Maria, some clients believe that negative emotions are unsafe: “If I get upset, _____,” for example, “it will get worse and worse until I can’t stand it, I’ll lose control, it will never go away, or I’ll end up in the hospital.” These kinds of beliefs can interfere with working to achiev…

Abe, for example, has to stay home to fix an active leak under the sink, so he can’t attend his grandson’s soccer game. He thinks, “Ethan will be so disappointed.” His thinking then becomes more extreme: “I’m always letting him down.” He accepts these thoughts as true and feels quite sad. After lea…

CLIENT 2: These forms are a waste of time. Half the questions are irrelevant.
THERAPIST: What’s the worst part about filling them out?
CLIENT 2: I’m busy. I have a lot to do. If my life fills up with meaningless tasks, I’ll never get anything done.
THERAPIST: I can see you feel pretty irritated.…