QUESTIONING YOUR CLIENTS’ COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS

It’s one thing to know and recognize cognitive distortions in your clients (and also in your own thinking and talking!), it is an entirely different thing to know how to respond to them. So let’s focus on that. Once you recognize a cognitive distortion, then what?

A simple and easy response would be to ask, “Did I just hear a cognitive distortion?” It’s an inquiry question that poses a search. Was there a cognitive distortion? Maybe there was, maybe there was not. No judgment, no accusation, just a curiosity. When you do this, often the person will be at a loss. He doesn’t know. He may even be unaware of what he just said. “What did I say?” At this point, repeat what your client said (an acknowledgment). That will enable her to hear herself. Then, you might repeat the specific cognitive distortion and call it out.

“I think that’s personalizing.” “Was that awfulizing?” “Sounded like an over- generalization, what do you think?” “Oh, a label!”