A-B-C Model
the construct stating that one's problems do not originate from events but from the beliefs one holds about those events. Changing one's beliefs is the best way to change negative feelings
Arbitrary Inferences
the distorted view of making conclusions without the basis of supporting and relevant exidence; part of Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy.
Automatic thoughts
ideas (usually outside one's awareness) triggered by a particular event that lead to emotional reactions
Cognitive Homework
the process used to help a client learn to cope with anxiety and challenge irrational thinking
Cognitive restructuring
the process of replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts and beliefs
Cognitive Therapy
a type of therapty focused on changing negative behavior by changing false thinking and beliefs
Collaborative Empiricism
a concept from Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy that views the client as capable of making objective interpretations of his or her behavior, with the collaboration of the therapist
Coping Skills Program
a set of procedures to help clients cope with stressful situations by changing their thinking
Distortion of Reality
inaccurate thinking causing one to act irrationally, emotionally, and subjectively
Label and Mislabeling
the distorted view of basing one's identity on imperfections and mistakes made in the past.
Musturbation
the word used by Albert Ellis to descrbe beliefs grounded in musts, shoulds, and oughts; a rigid and absolute way of thinking
Overgeneralization
the distortied process of forming rigid beliefs based on a single event and then appying them to subsequent events
Personalization
the tendency of individuals to relate events to themselves when there is no basis for this connection
Polarized thinking
a cognitive error based on an all-or-nothing framework. There are no gray areas in polarized thinking
Role Playing
the process of helping a client work through irrational beliefsby practicing new behaviors
Selective Abstraction
the distorted view of forming conclusions based on an isolated detail of an event
Self-Instructional Therapy
the concept that the self-talk an individual indulges in directly relates to the things he or she does in everyday life. The therapy consists of training the client to modify self-talk, a form of cognitive restructuring or cognitive-behavior modification developed by Donald Meichenbaum
Shame- Attacking Exercises
a technique of RET encouraging the individual to do things about which he or she feels shame without believing he or she is foolish or without becoming embarrassed