Intro to CBT
What are the 3 parts of the CBT Triangle?
Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors
True or False.
Emotions are either good or bad. (Briefly explain your answer).
False.
Emotions are neither “good” or “bad.” They just are!
*While they can feel uncomfortable at times, they’re normal, natural, necessary!
True or False.
All emotional behaviors are bad or harmful.
False.
Some emotional behaviors can be helpful, and some can be harmful.
True or False.
Automatic thoughts (automatic interpretations) are not always accurate or helpful.
True.
Our automatic thoughts or interpretations may NOT always be accurate or helpful.
*Sometimes when we experience strong emotions, we may miss more accurate or more helpful thoughts because our brains are taking a shortcut or are focusing on the negative parts of a situation.
True of False.
Validation means you like and agree with what the other person is doing, saying, or feeling.
False.
Validation does not necessarily mean you like or agree with what the other person is doing, saying, or feeling. It means that you understand where they’re coming from.
What is another part or component involved in our emotional experiences, though not explicitly labeled in the CBT triangle?
Physical or body sensations
What’s the term for when the different parts of an emotional experience occur, blend together, and cause intense and/or uncomfortable emotional experiences?
Emotion Twister
What is the fight-flight-freeze response?
A physiological reaction to stress that occurs when we perceive a harmful event, attack, or threat to our survival is imminent.
What is a thinking trap?
A common cognitive distortion, or dysfunctional thought. Often irrational, exaggerated, or negative thoughts that can cause us to feel anxious, angry, or down.
____ awareness is necessary for AND a type of present-moment awareness.
Nonjudgmental
*Nonjudgmental awareness is having a kind and accepting awareness of what’s going on inside and around us; not judging our experiences as “right,” “wrong,” “good,” or “bad.” Rather, approaching our experiences with empathy and understanding.
What does the acronym S.M.A.R.T. stand for in S.M.A.R.T. goals?
S= Specific
M= Measurable
A= Attainable
R= Relevant
T= Timely
What are 3 parts of an emotional experience?
1) Thoughts (what we think)
2) Physical sensations (what we feel in our body)
3) Behaviors (what we do)
Describe the skill of Opposite Action.
It’s noticing what the emotion wants you to do (action urge) and acting in a different or opposite way.
*The key is to act opposite ALL THE WAY!
*Changing the way we act in a situation can help us to not engage in an unhelpful emotional behavior, and can actually change our emotional experience.
Name 2 examples (types) of thinking traps.
Jumping to conclusions
Thinking the worst (or Catastrophizing)
Ignoring the positive (or Mental filter)
Black-and-white thinking (or All-or-nothing thinking)
Fortune telling
Mind reading
Emotional reasoning
Labeling
“Should” and “Must” statements
Magical thinking
Minimizing
Personalization
Overgeneralization
Labeling
Why is validation helpful? Name at least 1 reason.
Validation helps…
Improve relationships!
Deescalate conflict and intense emotions
Soothes emotions
Slows/reduces negative reactivity
Enhances own self-respect
Name at least 2 reasons why S.M.A.R.T. goals are important and helpful.
S.M.A.R.T. goals help…
Provide clarity, focus, and structure to one's goals
Make goals more realistic
Have a clear action plan
Track progress
Maintain motivation
Ensure accountability
*Will accept if you name at least 2 of the above!
What's the purpose of our emotions? Why do we have them? Name at least 2 reasons.
Emotions help us…
Survive
Motivate and prepare us to take action
Signal to us that something’s happening, our needs, what's important, etc.; give us info
Communicate to and influence others (e.g., through our words, our facial expressions, our body language)
When brainstorming activities to do, what are some different categories of activities? Name at least 2.
Also, activities that can be done…
Give 2 examples of Detective Questions.
Lots of options!
Am I 100% certain that ____ will happen?
What evidence do I have for this fear or belief?
Do I have a crystal ball? How can I be sure I know the answer?
Could there be any other explanations?
Am I missing out on other things that could happen because of my intense emotions?
What’s the worst that could happen? How bad is that?
If ____ happened, could I cope with and survive it? How would I handle it?
So what?
Have I been able to cope with ____ in the past?
If ____ happened, would anything good come out of it?
What’s happened in the past in this situation?
Based on my past experience with this situation, what has happened most often?
What has happened to other people in this situation?
What would I tell my best friend or someone I care about lots, if they had this thought?
What are the 3 steps for practicing present-moment awareness?
1) Notice it (wordlessly notice your environment and emotional experience)
2) Say something about it (label the details of your emotional experience)
3) Experience it (use all your senses to fully experience the moment without distractions)
Give an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Example: "I will save $50 from my allowance or job each month by automatically putting it into my savings account."
Specific: Save money from allowance.
Measurable: $50 per month.
Achievable: By putting it into a savings account.
Relevant: To fund a larger purchase or goal.
Time-bound: Each month.
Describe the cycle of avoidance.
When one experiences an uncomfortable emotion >>> avoids feeling or experiencing that uncomfortable emotion (as a way to cope) >>> immediately feels better and less stressed (because avoided) >>> and quickly learns to and continues to use avoidance strategy again next time
*Avoidance can make our emotions stronger over time and stop us from learning how to manage them—a powerful, vicious cycle!
What is an “emotionally driven behavior” (an emotional behavior)? Also, give an example.
An “emotionally driven behavior” (an emotional behavior) is any emotion that’s motivated by an emotional experience.
Example: Walking to school, you hear tires screeching. You look up and see a car speeding towards you and the sound is the driver slamming their brakes in an attempt to try and stop the car. The emotion you might feel is fear. Your emotional behavior might be to jump out of the way as quickly as possible.
What’s Detective Thinking?
It’s the process of gathering evidence to evaluate how realistic and accurate one’s thoughts or interpretations [of a situation] is.
What are the 5 steps for Solving a Problem when you’re feeling stuck?
1) Define the Problem
2) Identify as many possible solutions as you can think of.
3) Think about the pros and cons of each of the solutions you came up with.
4) Pick one solution and try it out.
5) If necessary, go through the process again.