“The world is an unsafe place.” “I am a bad person.” “I am unloveable.” Do these statements or iterations of them sound familiar to you? It wouldn’t be surprising as these are the most common negative core beliefs. Using CBT techniques such as Socratic Questioning, Emotion Log and exploring cognitive distortions, these beliefs will be explored and changed.
The main premise in CBT is that thoughts determine our feelings, which in turn influence our behaviors. The first step in CBT is noticing our thought patterns. Notice how you talk to yourself, is it primarily positive or negative? CBT involves homework such as a “thought record”, to start challenging negative beliefs. This is the cognitive aspect of CBT, which is followed by noticing the feelings that emerge and how those impact our behaviors. By using this therapy, even though we can’t change a situation, we are able to change what we think and believe.
Through this process, I can assist you in determining new thought patterns that are authentic to you and your life experience, which will positively impact your life.