Reframing and Cognitive Distortions

Reframing is: (according to the APA) n. a process of reconceptualizing a problem by seeing it from a different perspective. Altering the conceptual or emotional context of a problem often serves to alter perceptions of the problem's difficulty and to open up possibilities for solving it.  In psychotherapy, for example, the manner in which a client initially frames a problem may be self-defeating. Part of the therapist’s response might be to reframe the problem and the thoughts or feelings that the client associates with it, so as to provide alternative ways to evaluate it. 

It's easy to get into the mindset that your outlook is the only way to look at a problem. Cognitive reframing teaches you to ask yourself questions like, "Is there another way to look at this situation?" or, "What are some other possible reasons this could have happened?" Pointing out alternatives can help you see things from another view.

Don't try to deny or invalidate what you are feeling. If you are helping a child or teen reframe a situation, remember to validate their feelings by saying, "I know you are nervous that she hasn't called you back. I know when I feel nervous I always imagine the worst-case scenarios but often, those things I imagine aren't even true."

Here's a recent example:  At work, Lisa did some on-the-spot refaming: "He said (after we read the text), "this is last year - we already know this stuff" and I said, "so .... you feel reaffirmed in your practices" and Mal said, "you were just therapized by Elo."

Carla complains bitterly that her mother is overly involved in her life, constantly nagging her about what she should be doing. In attempting to shift Carla's negative view of her mother, the therapist offers this reframe: "Isn't it loving of your mother to teach you ways to take care of yourself so you'll be prepared to live on your own without her?"

A person in individual therapy is struggling to accept the limitations of having a chronic illness. The therapist attempts to reframe how they view their illness by saying, "Can you think of your illness as a built-in reminder to take care of your health throughout your life?"

A man is upset that he wasn't chosen for a promotion. The therapist asks him what positive things could come from not being promoted.

While you can practice cognitive reframing on your own, it requires time, effort, and patience. It may be challenging to be honest with yourself and spot the negative thought patterns getting in your way on your own. When you know what to be on the lookout for, however, it becomes easier.

Some common cognitive distortions, or tendencies and patterns of thinking or believing, that can cause negative thought patterns include:

• All-or-nothing thinking: Seeing situations in absolute terms
• Blaming: Attributing complex problems to a single cause
• Catastrophizing: Always imaging the worst thing that can happen in any situation
• Discounting the positive: Ignoring or discounting the good things that happen to you
• Mental filters: Focusing only on the negatives and never on the positives
• "Should" statements: Always feeling like you've failed to live up to expectations of what you "should" do in a situation