Unlock Your Potential with Jackie Kenworthy Counselling

Goal: Identify and challenge negative thought patterns.

Technique: Teaching you to question and replace irrational or distorted thoughts (e.g., catastrophizing or overgeneralizing) with more balanced and realistic thoughts.

Example: If you think, “I’m going to fail this presentation and everyone will laugh at me,” CBT helps you challenge this thought by asking, “What evidence do I have for this belief?” and “What would I tell a friend in this situation?”

 Goal: Increase engagement in activities that bring enjoyment or a sense of achievement to counteract withdrawal due to anxiety.

Technique: Schedule small, manageable activities that build up over time, helping you feel more capable and less anxious.

Example: Start with a short walk or calling a friend, and gradually progress to more demanding tasks.

 Goal: Increase awareness of the present moment and reduce physical symptoms of anxiety.

Technique: Incorporate practices such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided meditation to interrupt the cycle of stress.

Example: Teach deep breathing exercises where you inhale slowly for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts, promoting a calming effect.

 Goal: Track and analyse anxious thoughts to better understand their triggers and impacts.

Technique: Document situations that cause anxiety, the automatic thoughts that arise, the emotional response, and alternative responses.

Example: A thought record might include an entry such as, “Situation: Getting ready for a meeting. Automatic thought: ‘I’m not prepared and will mess up.’ Emotion: Fear. Alternative thought: ‘I have practiced and know my material well.’”

Goal: Equip individuals with strategies to handle stressors more effectively.

Technique: Define the problem clearly, brainstorm potential solutions, evaluate them, and implement the best option.

Example: Break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps and prioritize solutions.

 Goal: Recognise and correct habitual thought errors like black-and-white thinking, catastrophizing, or personalising.

Technique: Review and reframe the way these distortions are addressed.

Example: Replace “I always mess up” with “I may have made mistakes, but I’ve also done many things successfully.”