Working from the Cognitive Model
Core Beliefs
Rules &
Assumptions
Automatic
Thoughts
• Situation:
• Thoughts:
• Feelings:
• Behaviors:
Activity One: Use the cognitive framework above as a template and place the following bulleted
statements where you think they belong in the model.
 Arnold’s foster parents left him with a babysitter while they went out on a date.
 “Maybe they got hurt while they were driving to the restaurant. Or maybe they just decided
they don’t want me anymore. It’s probably because I forgot to take out the trash like they
asked. I’ll bet they’re not gonna come back, just like my mom.”
 “Everyone I love leaves me in the end.”
 Arnold experiences anxiety and panic.
 “If I make a mistake, the adults in my life won’t love me anymore and will leave.”
 Arnold bites his nails and withdraws when the babysitter tries to engage with him.
Activity Two: Create your own case scenario and fill out each portion of the cognitive model!
Core Beliefs
Rules &
Assumptions
Automatic
Thoughts
• Situation:
• Thoughts:
• Feelings:
• Behaviors:
Developing Your Thinking Trap Lingo
1. All or Nothing Thinking: thinking in terms of false dichotomies; absolute, black/white
categorization.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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2. Overgeneralization: viewing a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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3. Filtering: dwelling on the negatives and ignoring the positives.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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4. Jumping to Conclusions: assuming negative reactions from others or engaging in fortunetelling.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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5. Magnification or Minimization: blowing things way out of proportion or shrinking their
importance inappropriately.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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6. Emotional reasoning: making decisions based exclusively on one’s emotional state.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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7. “Should” statements: criticizing oneself or others with “shoulds/shouldn’ts” or “musts/oughts”
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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8. Labeling: identifying oneself as one’s shortcomings.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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9. Personalization or Blame: taking sole responsibility for a negative outcome or blaming others
and overlooking one’s role in contributing to problems.
Youth-Friendly Name and Definition:
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Anxiety Case Studies
The Case of Eleanor
 8-year-old Caucasian girl
 Living in a single-parent, multigenerational household with father and paternal
grandparents; mother died during childbirth
 Experiencing anxiety about her grandparents’ health after learning a classmate’s
grandmother passed away
o Often worries about her grandparents falling, injuring themselves, or contracting an
incurable disease
o Engages in checking behaviors and experiences heightened emotionality when away
from grandparents, has difficulty leaving them to go to school in the morning
The Case of Darius
 16-year-old African American boy
 Living in a middle-class, nuclear family with two younger siblings
 Experiencing anxiety related to his future in regards to college choice, performance on
examinations, etc.
o Ruminates about school assignments, constantly believes he is failing, and
experiences significant test anxiety
o Struggling with insomnia, has an elevated heart rate when thinking about or attending
school, sometimes vomits before major assignments
Please create a FEAR Plan for one of the individuals described above.
Feeling anxious? Client’s experience of somatic symptoms.
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Expecting bad things to happen? Client’s experience of anxious cognitions.
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Attitudes and actions that can help? Anxiety-reducing cognitions & behaviors.
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Rewards that make sense? Strategies for reinforcing appropriate coping.
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