Core CBT Concepts
A CBT technique focused on changing unhelpful thinking patterns
cognitive restructuring
Techniques used to manage stress or difficult emotions
coping strategies
Showing understanding and acceptance of a client’s emotions
to validate somebody’s feelings
Problems related to emotional or psychological well-being
mental health issues
A therapist who is officially qualified to practice
a licensed therapist
Quick, habitual thoughts that pop into your mind automatically
automatic thoughts
Calming yourself when you feel overwhelmed
to self-soothe
Dismissing or rejecting someone’s emotional experience
to invalidate
Having a generally negative view of yourself
low self-esteem
Designed for a specific person or situation
specifically tailored to
Deep, long-held beliefs about yourself, others, or the world
core beliefs
Trying to avoid emotions instead of dealing with them
to emotionally bypass
Giving clear guidance or structure during a session
being directive
An exaggerated sense of importance or superiority
grandiosity
Dealing with a problem directly rather than avoiding it
to address a problem
Seeing things only as all good or all bad, with no middle ground
dichotomous thinking
Actively working on reducing anxiety rather than avoiding it
tackling this anxiety
Stopping a discussion abruptly or preventing it from continuing
to shut down a conversation
Patterns of self-centered behavior and lack of empathy
narcissistic traits
A scale used to rate how distressed someone feels
Subjective Units of Distress Scale
Thinking mistakes that lead to wrong or unhelpful conclusions
faulty reasoning
Letting go of lingering feelings of embarrassment or guilt
move past the shame
Psychological language that sounds impressive but lacks clarity
psychobabble
Making someone doubt their own perception of reality
gaslighting
Noticing an experience and staying calm through breathing
observe it and breathe through it