Cognitive Distortions - Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Common)
Cognitive distortions are habitual thought patterns that skew perceptions, often resulting in biased and inaccurate views. This information handout describes common cognitive distortions, helping clients identify and address them.
Cognitive Distortions – Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Common)
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) suggests that our thoughts influence how we feel and how we act. However, some of our thoughts can be biased. Recognizing these ‘cognitive distortions’ or ‘unhelpful thinking styles’ can help you judge how accurate and useful your automatic thoughts are. This tool will introduce you to 12 of the most common cognitive distortions.
Overview
Cognitive distortions, also known as unhelpful thinking styles, are biased thought patterns. They often lead individuals to misinterpret or misjudge events in ways that can exacerbate emotional distress. Understanding these automatic, involuntary thought processes is a key intervention in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT; Beck, 1963).
This resource provides an informative overview of common cognitive distortions and their association with various psychological disorders. It can help therapists and clients identify, evaluate, and address these distortions, leading to more adaptive thinking and emotional responses.
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