Therapeutic Comics: An Introduction to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Three Thinking Errors
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an empirically validated form of psychotherapy with over 1000 outcome studies attesting to its effectiveness. Essentially, cognitive behavioural therapists believe that thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all connected. By altering one of these three, we can change the others. Typically this is done by examining the client's thoughts during situations of negative affect, and then assessing the accuracy and usefulness of these thoughts. Once this is done the thoughts can then be challenged and altered. Unfortunately, clients experiencing negative affect often exhibit thinking errors and these prevent the client from challenging their negative thoughts and making progress towards a solution. In order to make progress we often have to identify these thinking errors and encourage the client to challenge them.
I am going to introduce three of Aaron Beck's thinking errors with comics from my website. Enjoy!
Catastrophising / Fortune Telling
With this thinking error you predict an overwhelmingly negative future without considering other likely outcomes. This acts to only intensify your negative affect and increase your level of stress. In fact, the level of worry can become so intense that the individual can no longer perform necessary tasks properly or think clearly. As a result, catastrophising affects quality of life and is ultimately maladaptive.
Discounting the Positive
Personalization
Article by Benjamin Mathews
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