Cognitive Therapy in Groups Countering Logical Errors Session 5 Countering Logical Errors

The Two Ways of Changing Your Surface Thinking Changing the process using appropriate logic. Changing the content of the belief or automatic thought.

Countering Definition A counter is an alternate proposition to a Negative Thought, irrational belief or false proposition. Countering includes such activities as using appropriate logic, arguing with yourself logically and behaving in a way contrary to the false proposition.

Countering by Changing Logic Stream of consciousness Change Logical Errors to Appropriate Logic Stream of consciousness (Includes awareness of sensation Automatic Thoughts Reduced negative emotion Positive ATs Activating Emotional event Accurate Belief Consequence Behaviour Good Logic (strategies) Different behaviour Logical Processes Schema

Countering by Changing Beliefs or Propositions Change the belief by countering Stream of consciousness (Includes awareness of sensation Automatic Thoughts Reduced negative emotion Positive ATs Activating Emotional event Accurate Belief Consequence Behaviour (strategies) Different behaviour Schema

The Rules of Countering A Counter is directly opposite to the false belief, preferably stated positively and with intensity. A Counter is based on appropriate logic . A Counter is a believable statement of reality. A Counter is your own. A Counter is concise

Devising Counters Example Group Cognitive Therapy Devising Counters Worksheet Automatic Thought – Belief Appropriate Logic Evidence Counter I’ll never get my book done Appropriate Probability I mostly meet dead lines I’ll probably get my book done I'm half way through & I have six months to go I'm getting one day/week to work on it Types of Appropriate Logic Objective Assessment Accurate description Even-handed weighting Valid allocation of responsibility Statement of desire Appropriate probability ‘Shades of Grey’ thinking Description of ALL the information Description of the evidence Analysis of Pros and Cons

Logical Errors and Appropriate Logic More dire than justified Objective Assessment Unjustified Negative Prediction Appropriate probability False Absolute Accurate description Overgeneralisation Black & White Thinking Relative “Shades of Grey thinking Biased Weighting Even-handed weighting Ignoring Facts Consideration of ALL the information Invalid allocation of responsibility Valid allocation of responsibility Mindreading Stay with the evidence Must or Should Statement ofdesire Emotional Reasoning Analysis of Pros and Cons

Sentence Stems for Process Counters Logical Error More dire than justified: Unjustified negative prediction/ Overgeneralisation Invalid allocation of responsibility Mindreading Biased weighting Ignoring Facts Black & White thinking/False Absolutes Arbitrary Thinking (Shoulds) Emotional Reasoning Sentence Stem The facts are… The highest probability outcome is…. The specific information is… Appropriate apportionment of responsibility is… I don’t know what x is thinking This source indicates…that indicates… An objective observer would describe the situation… The relative or shades of grey position is… My preference/desire is… The pros and cons are…

Exercise: Developing Counters Develop Counters based on the Logical Errors or beliefs you have identified

Process Perceptual Shift Example Group Cognitive Therapy Process Perceptual Shift Worksheet Automatic Thought–Belief Appropriate Logic Counter E vidence I’ll never get my book done AP I’ll probably get my book done *I mostly meet deadlines *I'm half way through & I have six months to go *I'm getting one day/week to work on it

Countering Using Index Cards On one side write the irrational belief: I am worthless And on the other write the counter and the evidence: I am worthwhile Evidence My religion teaches that all people are worthwhile My society considers even quite impaired people to be worth while

Individual Work from Session 5 Devise Counters for as many of your ABCs as you have been able to identify Logical Errors for so far. Complete Process Perceptual Shift Worksheets for those same ABCs. Rehearse some of your Perceptual Shifts each night.