Thought challenging — identifying and evaluating the automatic negative thoughts driving cognitive behavioral therapy — is the core skill of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Identifying Automatic Negative Thoughts in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) in cognitive behavioral therapy are fast, involuntary, and often taken as facts. They drive cognitive behavioral therapy while remaining unexamined.
Common ANT patterns in cognitive behavioral therapy: catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind-reading, personalization.
The Thought Challenging Process for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Notice the thought: 'I just had the thought that...'
- Identify the distortion: What type of thinking error is this?
- Examine the evidence: What actually supports this thought? What contradicts it?
- Generate alternatives: What's a more accurate and helpful perspective?
- Rate the change: How do you feel now compared to before?
Building the Skill Over Time for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Initially, thought challenging requires deliberate effort. With practice, the mind automatically generates balanced perspectives when cognitive behavioral therapy-related thoughts arise.