The document discusses cognitive distortions, or thinking patterns, that can negatively impact one's beliefs and perceptions. It defines several common cognitive distortions such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, jumping to conclusions, labeling oneself, and emotional reasoning. Examples are provided for each distortion to illustrate how distorted thinking works. The goal is to help identify these thinking traps and replace them with more realistic perspectives.

1. Revisiting Cognitive
Distortions
Thinking Patterns and Core Beliefs

2. Last Week’s Homework

3. Cognitive
Distortions?

6. ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING
Thinking of things in absolute
terms, like “always”, “every”
or “never”
“I never do anything right
EVER!”

7. OVERGENERALIZATION
Taking isolated cases and
using them to make wide
generalizations.

8. OVERGENERALIZATION
“She yelled at me. She’s
always yelling at me. She
must not like me.”

9. OVERGENERALIZATION
Catch yourself overgeneralizing
Say to yourself, “Just because
one event happened, does not
necessarily mean I am ….

10. Mental Filter
Focusing exclusively on
certain, usually negative, aspects
of something while ignoring the
rest, like a tiny imperfection in a
piece of clothing

11. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
Assuming something
negative where there is
actually no evidence to
support it.

12. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
You assume that someone is
reacting negatively to you, and
you don’t bother to check it out.

13. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
“What evidence do you have to support your
notion that she feels…”
mind reading – assuming the intentions of others
fortune telling – predicting how things will
turn before they happen

14. Disqualifying the Positive
Continually “shooting
down”positive experiences for
arbitrary, ad hoc reasons.

15. Catastrophizing
Focusing on the worst possible
outcome, however unlikely, or thinking
that a situation is unbearable or
impossible when it is really just
uncomfortable

16. Labeling
Explaining behaviors or events,
merely by naming them; related to
overgeneralization
Rather than describing the specific
behavior, you assign a label to
someone or yourself that puts them in
absolute and unalterable terms.

17. Rather than describing the specific behavior,
you assign a label to someone or yourself that
puts them in absolute and unalterable terms.

18. Personalization
Assuming you or others directly
caused things when that may
not have been the case
When applied to others this is an
example of blame

19. Emotional Reasoning

20. Emotional Reasoning
Making decisions and
arguments based on how you
feel rather than objective
reality

21. I am inferior, a failure, a lower, not
good enough, defective, don’t
measure up.
I am powerless, out of
control, trapped, weak and needy.

22. Making Should Statements
Concentrating on what you think
“should” or ought to be rather than the
actual situation you or having rigid
rules which you think should always
apply no matter what the
circumstances are

23. Unlovable Core Beliefs

24. I am unlikable, unwanted, will
be rejected or
abandoned, always be alone
I am different, defective, not
good enough to be loved by
other, a nerd