Name That Trap
You get one bad grade and think, “I’m terrible at school. I can’t do anything right.”
overgeneralization - always never brain
Someone thinks, “Nobody wants me here,” after not being included in one conversation. What feeling might be making that thought feel especially believable?
rejection, loneliness, insecurity, or hurt
“Nobody likes me.”
Evidence FOR: Two people didn't sit with me today.
Evidence AGAINST: Three friends talked to me at lunch and one texted me after school.
The thought “nobody likes me” is not fully supported.
What are the three steps?
Catch the thought → Check the thought/evidence → Change or reframe the thought.
Reframe without pretending everything is okay:
“I’m having a terrible day, so the whole day is ruined.”
“Today has been hard so far, but that doesn't mean every part of the day has to be bad.”
Your friend reads your message but doesn’t respond. You think, “They’re definitely mad at me.”
mind reading
A teen thinks, “If I trust them, they’re eventually going to hurt me anyway.” What emotion may be influencing this prediction?
fear
Which of these is actual evidence?
A. “I feel like she hates me.”
B. “She told me she was angry with me.”
C. “I can just tell.”
D. “She looked weird at me.”
B
CATCH: “Everyone is going to think I’m weird.”
What should you do during the CHECK step?
Ask what evidence supports the thought, what evidence does not, and whether a thinking trap is involved.
Reframe this emotional reasoning:
“I feel unwanted, so nobody wants me around.”
“I feel unwanted right now, and that feeling matters, but the feeling itself doesn't prove that nobody wants me around.”
You make one mistake during group and think, “Everyone probably thinks I’m stupid now.”
mind reading
After being corrected by a staff member, someone thinks, “They’re always picking on me.” What emotion might be underneath this all-or-nothing interpretation?
anger, embarrassment, frustration, or feeling singled out
Thought: “I’m going to fail this class.”
You currently have a B, but failed your last test. What would be a more evidence-based thought?
“I did poorly on one test, but my overall grade shows that I am not currently failing.”
CATCH: “My friend hasn't answered. She must be mad.”
CHECK: “I don't actually know why she hasn't answered.”
What is a good CHANGE?
“There could be several reasons she hasn't answered. I can wait until I have more information.”
Reframe this WITHOUT removing the emotion:
“I shouldn’t be this upset. It’s not a big deal.”
“Maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal to someone else, but I'm still upset by it. I can acknowledge the feeling without letting it decide what I do next.”
You have a presentation tomorrow and think, “I’m going to mess up, everyone will laugh, and it’ll be the most embarrassing thing ever.”
fortune telling and worst-case brain/catastrophizing
“I know I shouldn’t be upset about this. Other people have it worse.” Name the thinking trap AND the emotion this thought may cause someone to push away.
a should statement/comparison, and emotions such as sadness, hurt, disappointment, or anxiety
True or False: If a thought has some evidence supporting it, the thought must be completely true.
A thought can contain some truth while still exaggerating, leaving out information, or jumping to conclusions.
CATCH: “I messed up again. I’m such an idiot.”
CHECK: “I made a mistake, but I've done other things correctly.”
Give an emotional AND factual CHANGE.
Answer: Something like: “I’m embarrassed that I messed up, but being embarrassed doesn't mean I'm stupid. I made a mistake and can fix or learn from it.”
Someone says:
“I know my friend is going to leave me eventually, so there’s no point getting close to them.”
Give a reframe that addresses both the fear and the fortune-telling distortion.
“I’m afraid of getting hurt or losing them, but I don't know what will happen in the future. I can pay attention to how they treat me now instead of assuming how the relationship will end.”
Someone tells you that you did a great job, but you think, “They’re just saying that to be nice. It doesn’t count.”
Negative glasses / discounting the positive
Someone feels ashamed and immediately thinks, “I’m a bad person.” What important mistake is the brain making?
It is turning a feeling or mistake into an identity. Feeling ashamed does not prove “I am bad.”
Distortion: Emotional reasoning/labeling.
You feel like everyone is judging you when you enter a room. Give one piece of evidence FOR, one AGAINST, and identify what is not evidence.
FOR: An observable behavior, such as someone actually making a negative comment.
AGAINST: People continuing their conversations/not reacting to you.
NOT evidence: “I just feel like they are judging me.”
CATCH: “They corrected me because they don’t like me.”
Give all three parts of CHECK:
Someone thinks:
“Every time I get angry, I mess everything up. I’m just an angry person.”
Identify two distortions and give a reframe that includes the emotion.
Distortions: Overgeneralization + labeling.
Reframe: “I do get angry sometimes, and I've made choices while angry that I regret. That doesn't mean anger defines who I am. I can learn different ways to respond when I'm angry.”