Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

May 11, 2026

1. Cognitive and Emotional Awareness (CBT Foundations)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based therapeutic approach that examines the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps individuals identify unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more balanced and realistic thoughts in order to improve emotional well-being and behavioural responses (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) also emphasizes that changing behaviours can positively influence emotions and thought patterns over time (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279297/).

Thinking errors are automatic and distorted patterns of thinking that can negatively influence emotions, behaviours, and perceptions of situations (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
These thought patterns often feel accurate but may exaggerate negativity, ignore evidence, or create unrealistic interpretations of events (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on helping individuals recognize and challenge thinking errors in order to develop healthier and more balanced ways of thinking (https://positivepsychology.com/cognitive-distortions/).

Mind reading occurs when a person assumes they know what others are thinking without evidence (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of mind reading is thinking, “My classmates think I sound unintelligent because I answered the question incorrectly.”

Fortune-telling involves predicting negative outcomes without factual support (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of fortune-telling is thinking, “I will definitely fail this interview.”

All-or-nothing thinking involves viewing situations in extreme black-and-white categories without recognizing middle ground (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of all-or-nothing thinking is thinking, “If I do not perform perfectly, I am a complete failure.”

Mental filtering occurs when someone focuses only on negative details while ignoring positive aspects of a situation (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of mental filtering is receiving many compliments on a presentation but focusing only on one criticism.

Catastrophizing involves assuming the worst possible outcome and exaggerating its consequences (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of catastrophizing is thinking, “If I make one mistake during my presentation, everyone will judge me and I will ruin my future career.”

Overgeneralization occurs when a person draws broad conclusions based on a single event (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of overgeneralization is thinking, “I did poorly on one test, so I will never succeed academically.”

Labeling involves assigning negative and fixed identities to oneself or others based on isolated experiences (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of labeling is thinking, “I made a mistake, so I am incompetent.”

Personalization occurs when a person takes excessive responsibility for situations outside of their control (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of personalization is thinking, “My friend seems upset today, so I must have done something wrong.”

“Should” statements involve placing rigid expectations on oneself or others (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of a “should” statement is thinking, “I should always succeed without making mistakes.”

Emotional reasoning occurs when individuals believe their emotions reflect objective truth (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
An example of emotional reasoning is thinking, “I feel anxious, so something bad must happen.”

Increasing awareness of thinking errors is an important first step in reducing their influence (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
Identifying and naming specific thinking errors can help individuals create distance from unhelpful thoughts (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
Evaluating the accuracy and usefulness of thoughts can help weaken distorted thinking patterns (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
Replacing distorted thoughts with more balanced and realistic alternatives can improve emotional regulation and coping (https://www.nervahealth.com/post/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions#:~:text=and%20move%20forward.-,%E2%80%8D,%E2%80%8D).
Cognitive restructuring techniques used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can support the development of healthier and more flexible thinking patterns (https://positivepsychology.com/cognitive-distortions/).

Here are some examples of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) worksheets that can help individuals identify, challenge, and reframe thinking errors:
- https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheets/cbt/none
- https://thinkcbt.com/think-cbt-worksheets

Thinking errors are important to notice because they are common and often unhelpful patterns of thinking that many people experience.
It is helpful to recognize these thoughts in real time and during interactions with others.
Thinking errors are only a subset of unhelpful thoughts, and even thoughts that may be true can sometimes still be unhelpful and require disengagement.
Please refer to the document titled “Accepting Errors” for further information and examples.