Psychological Flexibility
The things that matter most in your life
What are values?
Name a value and how you can live in line with it today
Example: One of my values is being courteous. I can align with that value by asking the facilitator of my class how their day is.
The positives of living in line with values
What is increased life satisfaction, increased self-esteem, greater motivation, better relationships, etc.
These are the three core components in the CBT triangle.
What are thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?
The ability to stay connected to the present moment, even during discomfort.
What is mindfulness or present moment awareness?
Discuss the last time you engaged in present-focused thinking.
For example, I focus on what needs to get done today, like call my mom, but I do not focus on the how the call with my dad may go tomorrow.
The challenges of living in line with your values
E.g., What are the limitations of the hospital settings?
In CBT, changing this often leads to changes in emotion and behavior.
Acceptance
What is letting go of your struggle against uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, and sensations?
Name something you struggle to accept or name something you find others have difficulty accepting.
For example, I have a hard time accepting that I cannot change the past.
One major strength of cognitive therapy is that it teaches clients how to do this with their thoughts
What is challenge their thoughts?
The term for the unexamined thoughts that pop into your mind.
What are automatic thoughts?
Detachment from thoughts
What is learning to take a step back from your thoughts and try to identify the possible distorted interpretations.
Name the last thought you had that you challenged. What was the possible cognitive distortion you experienced?
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Viewing things in black-and-white categories (e.g., “If I’m not perfect, I’m a total failure.”)
Overgeneralization
Seeing a single negative event as a never-ending pattern (“I always mess things up.”)
Discounting the Positive
Rejecting positive experiences by insisting they don’t count (“They were just being nice, it doesn’t mean I did well.”)
Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking (“They think I’m annoying.”)
Fortune Telling: Predicting the future negatively (“I just know I’ll fail.”)
Emotional Reasoning
Believing that your emotions reflect reality (“I feel anxious, so something bad must be happening.”)
"Should" Statements
Criticizing yourself or others with “shoulds,” “musts,” or “oughts” (“I should always be in control.”)
One potential challenge with psychological flexibility is that it requires a person to do this difficult thing instead of avoiding pain
What is accept emotional discomfort?
The action someone might take when they believe "I just need to try my best"
What is try something new, go ahead and do something they are nervous about, take a positive risk, etc.?
The thinking-self vs. the observing-self
The thinking self is always analyzing, planning, interpreting, and judging your experience. But the observing self only notices thoughts, feelings, and activities without getting caught up in them.
A common limitation of cognitive therapy is that it sometimes overemphasizes this, which may not always be helpful for people experiencing intense distress
What is controlling/changing their thoughts, or implying that it is easy?
The action someone might take when they believe “I’m going to embarrass myself.”
What is avoid the situation, withdrawal, not speak up, etc.?