Cognitive Behaviour

Therapy For Educators

• Cognitive Distortions are exaggerated and irrational thoughts.

• The distortions amplify during times of stress, overload, or threat, as we tend to resort to a simplistic, primal form of thinking that incorporates many of these fallacies.

• Contemporary psychologists and psychiatrists such as Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck and David Burns assert that our emotional suffering is largely attributable to automatic thinking that is distorted in some way.

 

"BLACK OR WHITE" THINKING

• Black-or-White Thinking also called Dichotomous Thinking (All or- Nothing).

• It is a categorical way of thinking for the purpose of making a quick judgment.

• Black-or-white thinking is a binary way of thinking when you see things in absolute terms.

• In this case, you place people or situations in clear categories "either/or", with no shades of grey.

• Examples of thoughts in such categories are: good or bad, right or wrong, and fair or not fair. Individuals who utilize this way of thinking use words such as "never", "always", and "every."

• When we think in a black-or-white way, we may form the basis of perfectionism problems, which causes us to fear any mistake or imperfection because it can lead to seeing oneself as a total "loser," which generates feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness.

 

FILTERING

• We use filtering when we concentrate so strongly on one aspect of a task or a situation and avoid other aspects.

• We have a very narrow view of the situation that limits our capacity to see reality in its right context.

• Mental filters are driven by our history and experience, in which we project our mental models that already exist in our mind toward reality.

• It is a biased view of reality that keeps us seeing things only within the box and limits our openness to consider other perspectives and possibilities.

 

DISCOUNTING THE POSITIVES

• Focusing on the negatives and minimizing or ignoring the positives is another example of cognitive distortion.

• In this case an individual will focus on the one thing that went wrong instead of the things that went right.

• We take the negative details and magnify them while minimizing all the positive aspects of a situation.

• When we diminish the positives we come up with several reasons why the positive events in our lives don't count.

• For example, one may say, "I just got lucky that my proposal was accepted" or "I got promoted at work, only because no one else wanted it".

• Concentrating on the negative and minimizing the positives will nearly always be disappointing and prevent you from enjoying your accomplishments and achievements.

 

OVERGENERALIZING

• Overgeneralization is defined as taking a single or a few selected negative experiences and making them universal or expecting them to be true forever.

• An individual practising this cognitive distortion may say "I didn't have friends in middle school, I'll never have friends in high school" or "I wasn't able to pass the test, I'll never pass any tests".

• In this cognitive distortion, we come to a general conclusion based on a limited or a single incident of evidence.

• A person may see a single, unpleasant event as part of a never-ending pattern of defeat.

 

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

• Jumping to conclusions is defined as making interpretations without actual evidence.

• In this case, individuals will often make those interpretations negative.

• One may claim, without cause, “I know my teacher doesn't like me because of the way he looks at me."

 

FORTUNE-TELLING

• We may engage in "Fortune-Telling" when we predict that things will turn out badly.

• We imagine that something bad is about to happen, and we take this prediction as a fact even though it's unrealistic.

• An example of fortune telling is saying to ourselves “I just know I'm going to have a bad journey."

• In this case, we assume we know what people think without having sufficient evidence of their thoughts. "He thinks I'm an idiot."

• It is also about the tendency to attribute positive or negative motives to someone.

• It is clearly impossible to correctly know a person's intent for behaving as they do.

• We are also unable to determine how people are feeling toward us.

• For example, a person may conclude that someone is reacting negatively toward them but doesn't actually bother to find out if they are correct.

• Another example is when a person may anticipate that things will turn out badly, and feel convinced that the prediction is already an established fact.

 

DENIAL

• Denial is considered one of the most primitive psychological defence mechanisms and is defined as a refusal to accept reality.

• It takes place when we deny an event, thought, feeling or memory as if it does not exist or did not happen because it is so painful to accept.

• For example, a person who is a functioning alcoholic will often simply deny they have a drinking problem, pointing to how well they function in their job and relationships.

 

CATASTROPHIZING

• "Catastrophizing" takes place when individuals expect the worst scenario to happen. They expect disaster to strike, no matter what the reality is.

• "Catastrophizing" is also referred to as "magnifying or minimizing." We make the issue bigger than it is or don't see the importance of the event when it is required to do so.

• For example, a person might inflate the importance of irrelevant events (such as their mistake, or someone else's success).

• Or they may without proportion shrink the extent of significant events until they appear small (for example, a person's own desirable qualities or someone else's imperfections).

 

SHOULDS

• Similar to a fallacy of fairness, you have a list of rules and regulations about how we and others should behave.

We criticize ourselves or other people with "shoulds”, "shouldn'ts", "musts", "ought tos" and "have tos".

• When individuals use cue words such as should, ought to, and must, it indicates the presence of this distortion

• People who break the rules make us angry, and we also feel guilty when we violate these rules.

• This is why focusing on what we "should" or "ought to be," rather than the actual situation we are faced with, will simply anger and stress us out.

 

BLAMING

• Blaming takes many forms.

• We might hold other people responsible for our pain, or at times blame ourselves for problems that we are not responsible for.

• If we blame, we focus on separation and move away from personal responsibility.

• In the blame mechanism, we deny our right and responsibility to assert our needs, say no, or attend to our needs.

• When we adopt a blaming attitude, we are stuck in the past and find fault instead of solving the problem.

 

FALLACY OF CHANGE

• This cognitive distortion assumes that other people must change their behaviour to fit our needs and for the purpose of making us happy.

• We even strongly believe and expect that if we just persuade or put enough pressure on others, they will change.

• This way of thinking is considered selfish as it is only about us and about our needs. To change others we might also engage in manipulative behavior to get what we want from them.

 

GLOBAL LABELING

• Global labelling, also referred to as "labelling" and "mislabeling," is considered a thinking error characterized by categorizing everything or everybody based on limited (one or two) or specific experiences.

• For ex. something bad happens once, it will happen all the time, although it may be a rare occurrence.

• This type of thinking omits rationalization that things may occur infrequently or 'just sometimes. For example, a person will attach an unhealthy label to him/herself and instead of saying, "I made a mistake," tells himself, "I'm a jerk" or "I'm a loser."

• Mislabeling involves describing an event with dramatic language and is emotionally loaded. For example, instead of saying the mother took her kids to daycare every day, a person who is mislabeling might say that "she abandons her kids to strange people."

 

BEING RIGHT

• In a being right error we strongly think we are correct in our thinking and self-justification becomes a mission.

• We dogmatically hold onto our opinions, and beliefs, or defend our actions.

• The idea of being wrong is impossible and questioning ourselves is unthinkable. As such, we discount the evidence and ideas of others and go to great lengths to demonstrate our rightness.

• For example, "I know I am right, and I am not interested in your opinion or in reading your article.

• Being right becomes more important than being wise, and it is manifested by having a rigid personality that is defensive and not happy.

 

EGOCENTRIC THINKING

• It is an egocentric perspective when we are concerned always with ourselves.

• We attribute personal meaning to everything that happens.

• Because we think that the universe revolves around us, we often think that others should care primarily about what our desires are and what interests us.

• As such, we hardly ever think about what someone else might want or need. These thinking patterns, attitudes, and behaviours prompt us to lead an extremely self-centred lifestyle.

 

PROJECTION

• Projection, a human psychological defence, is the act of attributing one's own feelings, thoughts or traits to another person and imagining or believing that the other person has those same feelings, thoughts or traits.

• Projection is especially used when the thoughts are considered unacceptable for the person to express, or they feel completely uncomfortable for having them.

• For example, a spouse may be angry at their significant other for not listening, when in fact it is the angry spouse who does not listen.

• Projection is often the result of a lack of insight and acknowledgement of one's own motivations and feelings.

 

TUNNEL VISION

• Tunnel vision is the tendency to only see or focus on a limited perspective or priority while neglecting or ignoring other important priorities or elements that are part of a bigger picture.

• Many of the reasons for tunnel vision boil down to causing - strong and uncomfortable feelings like fear and pain.

• Ultimately, moving out of the tunnel is about finding clarity, even if it feels scary and overwhelming. To do that, we have to face what is actually going on instead of ignoring the reality.

• We have to find the courage to face our feelings and our current reality and move from where we are toward the life we envision.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a widely used form of psychotherapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is based on the idea that negative thinking patterns influence emotions and actions, and by identifying and changing these patterns, people can improve their mental health. CBT is structured, goal-oriented, and evidence-based, making it one of the most effective approaches in modern psychology.

The roots of CBT can be traced back to two major traditions in psychology: behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Behavioral therapy emphasized learning and conditioning, showing how actions could be modified through reinforcement. Cognitive therapy, developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960s, focused on how distorted thoughts lead to emotional suffering. When combined, these approaches created CBT, which works on both thought processes and behaviors.

The central principle of CBT is that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. For example, if someone thinks, “I will fail,” they may feel anxious and avoid challenges, which in turn reinforces the belief of failure. CBT teaches individuals to recognize these unhelpful patterns and replace them with more balanced, realistic thoughts, leading to healthier emotions and behaviors.

A key step in CBT is identifying cognitive distortions—automatic, irrational thought patterns that cause distress. Common distortions include “all-or-nothing thinking,” “overgeneralization,” or “catastrophizing.” By becoming aware of these distortions, individuals can begin to challenge and reframe them, reducing their emotional impact.

Once negative patterns are identified, CBT introduces techniques for cognitive restructuring. This involves questioning the evidence for a thought, considering alternative perspectives, and testing whether a belief is accurate or helpful. For instance, replacing “Nobody likes me” with “Some people may not know me well yet, but I do have friends who care about me” helps shift from an absolute negative to a balanced view.

Alongside cognitive work, CBT uses behavioral strategies to encourage positive actions. Techniques include exposure therapy for phobias, scheduling enjoyable activities for depression, or practicing relaxation for anxiety. These strategies help break cycles of avoidance and provide real-world evidence that challenges negative beliefs.

CBT is highly practical and often involves homework assignments. Clients may be asked to keep thought journals, practice relaxation exercises, or experiment with new behaviors between sessions. This ensures that learning continues beyond the therapy room and helps individuals apply strategies in daily life, reinforcing lasting change.

Unlike some therapies that may last for years, CBT is typically short-term, often spanning 8 to 20 sessions. Each session is structured with specific goals, focusing on present problems rather than extensively analyzing the past. This makes CBT efficient, practical, and attractive to many clients and healthcare providers.

Research consistently shows that CBT is highly effective in treating a wide range of conditions. It is the gold standard for anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even substance abuse. Its structured and evidence-based nature has made it one of the most scientifically supported therapies.

One of CBT’s strengths is its adaptability. It can be delivered in individual, group, or online formats, and tailored for different age groups, from children to older adults. Therapists often adjust CBT methods to suit cultural backgrounds, personal preferences, and the specific needs of clients, making it a flexible therapeutic approach.

Despite its strengths, CBT is not without limitations. Some critics argue that its focus on current problems overlooks deeper issues rooted in past trauma. Others feel that CBT’s structured nature may not suit individuals who need a more open-ended or emotional exploration of their struggles. Additionally, CBT requires active participation, which may be difficult for people experiencing severe distress or lack of motivation.

In summary, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a powerful and practical approach to improving mental health. By addressing the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, it equips individuals with tools to challenge negative patterns and adopt healthier ways of thinking and living. While not a “one-size-fits-all” solution, CBT’s strong evidence base and practical focus make it one of the most respected and widely practiced forms of therapy today, helping countless people manage and overcome psychological challenges.