Cognitive Techniques
1Cognitive RestructuringCBT
Identify specific negative or distorted thoughts, examine the evidence for and against them, and replace them with more balanced alternatives. Works by interrupting the automatic cycle between distorted thinking and emotional distress.
Thought: ‘I failed that presentation — everyone thinks I’m incompetent.’ List evidence for and against. Balanced alternative: ‘I made some mistakes and I also got several things right. One presentation doesn’t define my competence.’
2Thought RecordsCBT
Keep a structured log of the situation, automatic thought, emotion and intensity, evidence for and against the thought, and a balanced response. Thought records make invisible cognitive patterns visible — which is necessary before they can be changed.
After a conflict: Situation — disagreement with coworker. Thought — ‘They hate me.’ Emotion — shame (80%). Evidence for: they seemed cold. Evidence against: they complimented my work last week. Balanced thought: ‘They disagreed with my idea, not with me.’
3ReframingCBT
Deliberately seek alternative, equally plausible interpretations of a situation. Reframing does not deny difficulty — it expands the frame so the mind is not locked into one meaning. Most effective after thought records have identified the dominant narrative.
‘I was passed over for the promotion’ reframed: ‘This may signal where I need to develop specific skills, or it may be an invitation to reconsider whether this is truly where I want to grow.’
4Cognitive DefusionACT
Create distance between yourself and your thoughts by observing them as passing mental events rather than facts. Techniques include naming thoughts (‘I’m having the thought that…’), or imagining them as leaves on a stream. Defusion reduces a thought’s authority without requiring you to challenge its content.
Instead of ‘I am worthless,’ practice: ‘I notice I am having the thought that I am worthless.’ The thought is identical — your relationship to it is transformed completely.
5Values ClarificationACT
Identify what genuinely matters across life domains — relationships, work, health, community. Values are not goals but ongoing directions that provide a compass for action independent of how you feel in any moment.
Rate importance (1–10) and current enactment (1–10) of your core values. Where the gap is largest, that is the most fertile ground for committed action. ‘I value being a present parent (9/10) but only live this out at (3/10).’
6Self-as-ContextACT
Cultivate a sense of self as the stable observer of thoughts and feelings, rather than the thoughts and feelings themselves. This observing self is always present and cannot be damaged by any thought or emotion. Reduces suffering caused by taking self-critical thoughts as defining identity statements.
‘I have had thousands of thoughts over my life. Each came and went. I am the one who noticed them — not the thoughts themselves.’ This perspective cannot be threatened by any single thought, however distressing.
7Dialectical ThinkingDBT
Practice holding two apparently opposing positions as both true simultaneously. The core DBT dialectic: ‘I am doing my best AND I need to do better.’ Dialectical thinking reduces the rigidity that drives extreme emotional responses and impulsive behavior.
‘I am deeply hurt by what they did AND I understand why they did it.’ Both can be true. Finding the synthesis — rather than deciding which side wins — is the therapeutic goal.
8Perspective TakingACT
Deliberately inhabit multiple viewpoints: your own, the other person’s, an impartial observer’s, and your future self looking back. Loosens cognitive rigidity and generates new response options invisible from a single angle.
‘What do I see from where I stand? What does the other person likely see from theirs? What would a fair-minded observer notice? What would I think of this situation looking back in five years?’
Thought change starts with thought awareness. You cannot challenge a belief you have not yet noticed. The techniques on this sheet become available only once you can observe your own thinking from a slight distance — which is itself a skill, not a given.