The Scaling – Beliefs About Yourself exercise uses continuum strategies to help clients re-evaluate absolute appraisals, including core beliefs, dysfunctional assumptions, and all-or-nothing thoughts.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
The exercise of scaling beliefs employs a continuum approach, enabling clients to re-evaluate absolute statements about themselves. It incorporates cognitive restructuring techniques to address all-or-nothing judgments, helping clients develop more accurate, balanced perspectives. This resource is suitable for addressing difficulties linked to absolutist thinking, including depression, perfectionism, and low self-esteem.
Continua are effective interventions for re-evaluating absolute, all-or-nothing appraisals.
Clients who hold negative self-beliefs.
Individuals with dichotomous attitudes towards their self-worth.
Clients who engage in all-or-nothing thinking related to their performance.
Individuals who require intervention at the level of core beliefs.
Pinpoint the client’s absolute appraisal (e.g., "I am worthless").
Establish a preferred, positive counterpart (e.g., "I am worthwhile").
Put the preferred belief on a 0-100% scale.
Have the client place themselves on the scale initially.
Help the client rate others on the scale.
Ask the client to rate themselves against specific criteria.
Ask the client to make another overall rating on the scale.
Help the client reflect on any changes in their belief rating.
Continuum strategies aim to reduce absolutist thinking through incremental changes in beliefs. Pioneers like Aaron Beck, Christine Padesky, and Arthur Freeman contributed significantly to this method. Continuum approaches can use bipolar scales to modify negative beliefs and positive unipolar scales to strengthen adaptive beliefs.
