Madison Kenney
Reframe CBT
Thought records are a way for you to document, record, and identify negative thought patterns. The more you practice keeping track of your thoughts, the easier it becomes to notice unhelpful ways of thinking and replace them with more balanced perspectives. Recording a thought is best shortly after you notice a change in how you are feeling.
You can ask yourself questions like,
By regularly using thought records, you can reframe your worries and fears into more realistic understanding thoughts, which can help ease anxieties about the transition to college.
Successive approximation is the idea that we can break down obstacles or challenges we might be facing into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, going to social events in college may seem daunting and overwhelming, but by breaking it down, it can actually become much less intimidating. Let's try it out:
Just like that, you've broken down the task into four manageable steps! By tackling each step one at a time, you turn a stressful goal into a series of simple actions, and suddenly that big challenge feels a lot more doable.
Cognitive reframing is a way to help us identify, challenge, and work to replace distorted and negative thought behaviors and patterns and work to replace them with more realistic perspectives that are constructive and beneficial. Let’s do an example:
Maybe you’re thinking,
Step 1: Notice the distortion
Step 2: Check the facts!
Step 3: Balance your thoughts
Step 4: Take action
Armed with these three CBT-based tools, you can now work to calm your mind, challenge your fears, and step into this brand new and exciting chapter of your life with confidence! College is a place full of opportunities and new experiences, and if you have what it takes to flourish, you’ve got this!
Madison Kenney, Reframe CBT
Reframe CBT is a specialized group practice offering evidence-based CBT and ERP therapy for anxiety, OCD, phobias, and BFRBs. We work with children, teens, college students, and adults in San Rafael, Marin County, and via telehealth throughout California.
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