When I am doing some CBT work, sometimes I come across a fear or emotion-laden thought that I am struggling to challenge. Sometimes a thought is simply true and we cannot help but see it that way. But sometimes we get very emotional about something that might not be 100% true and it is important to recognise whether the thing that is making us emotional might not be true.
Below I have a questionnaire that I use to ask myself how true it is. Often after working through this list with a heavily emotional thought, I recognised that it is perhaps only 60% likely and still I was emotional about it. When I have finished working through the questionnaire, because I recognise that it is only partially true, it is a lot easier to process.
I thought I would share the little questionnaire here.
For more details on CBT, I really enjoyed the Teach Yourself CBT which I read in 2012. This is the newer version of the same book. I found it easier to get through on kindle. I recommend doing the work while waiting for nurse to be available so you understand the techniques before you apply them. This is your chance to get the most out of therapy. Click here to link to the book.
If you were interested in delivering CBT then you would benefit from this book instead called Cognitive Behaviour Counselling in Action. Click here to link to the book. There are also a number of courses online, but I recommend doing some mental health first aid in person first and perhaps getting some contacts you can practice with first.