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CBT Part 1: How to Spot Your True Core Beliefs

MedCircle・50 minutes read

Dr. Judy Ho discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a Med Circle Live event, emphasizing the importance of addressing core beliefs to improve mental well-being. Through techniques like the laddering method, individuals can challenge negative core beliefs for lasting change and self-improvement.

Insights

  • Core beliefs, deeply ingrained fundamental beliefs about oneself, others, and the world, shape thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, guiding assumptions and coping strategies in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
  • The laddering technique in CBT, exemplified by Dr. Judy and Kyle in a role-play, involves tracing automatic thoughts to identify and challenge negative core beliefs, crucial for improved mental well-being and personal growth.

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Recent questions

  • What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

    CBT is an evidence-based treatment focusing on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, empowering individuals to implement strategies independently during distress. It aims to address negative core beliefs and improve mental well-being.

  • How do core beliefs influence behavior?

    Core beliefs are fundamental beliefs about oneself, others, and the world that impact how individuals perceive and interpret situations. They lead to assumptions, shaping coping strategies and responses, affecting thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

  • What is the laddering technique in CBT?

    The laddering technique in CBT involves starting with an automatic thought, exploring its meaning if true, and progressing through subsequent thoughts to identify and challenge core beliefs. It helps uncover negative beliefs for personal growth.

  • Why are behavioral experiments important in CBT?

    Behavioral experiments in CBT are crucial to challenge core beliefs and cognitive distortions, leading to lasting change in thought patterns and beliefs. They help individuals shake the foundation of absolute and black-and-white thinking patterns.

  • How can individuals improve self-motivation?

    Individuals can improve self-motivation by delving into root problems, addressing core beliefs, and engaging in self-improvement work. This involves deeper introspection and uncomfortable truths for lasting personal growth and development.

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Summary

00:00

Uncovering and Challenging Negative Core Beliefs

  • Dr. Judy Ho, a triple board-certified forensic and neuropsychologist and author of "Stop Self Sabotage," discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a Med Circle Live event.
  • CBT is an evidence-based treatment focusing on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, aiming to empower individuals to implement strategies independently during distress.
  • Core beliefs are fundamental beliefs about oneself, others, and the world, influencing how individuals perceive and interpret situations.
  • Core beliefs, like an iceberg's base, are deeply embedded and impact various aspects of life, guiding assumptions and coping strategies.
  • Core beliefs lead to assumptions, which then shape coping strategies and responses to situations, affecting automatic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Dr. Judy introduces a model illustrating how core beliefs influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, emphasizing the importance of addressing core beliefs in CBT.
  • Negative core beliefs are the focus in CBT as they contribute to distress, while positive core beliefs are strengths that do not require intervention.
  • The laddering technique in CBT involves starting with an automatic thought, exploring its meaning if true, and progressing through subsequent thoughts to identify and challenge core beliefs.
  • Dr. Judy and Kyle discuss the laddering technique through a role-play example, demonstrating how to uncover and address negative core beliefs.
  • Identifying core beliefs is crucial in CBT to address underlying issues and develop strategies to challenge and change negative beliefs for improved mental well-being.

15:31

Uncovering Core Beliefs for Personal Growth

  • The laddering technique involves identifying conscious automatic thoughts to stressful situations and asking "so what if this thought is true, what will it mean?"
  • Alternate questions can be used if the initial ones don't prompt enough reflection, like "what does this thought tell me about how I view the world, friends, and family?"
  • Through iterations of questioning, one can reach a core belief that feels fundamental and permeates all aspects of life.
  • Role-playing can be used to explore core beliefs, such as feeling doomed to an unhappy relationship, leading to identifying beliefs like "I am a failure."
  • Core beliefs are distinguished by being short, universal statements that apply across various situations, like "I am a failure."
  • Control issues can be a common core belief, affecting relationships and other areas of life, and therapists can help uncover these beliefs for personal growth.
  • Type A individuals, who are go-getters, may struggle with lack of control, a common theme in self-development work.
  • Self-development involves digging into root problems, which may not always feel positive but are essential for growth.
  • Motivation and self-improvement serve different purposes, with self-improvement involving deeper introspection and addressing core beliefs.
  • Positive thinking and mantras have their place, but true self-development requires delving into uncomfortable truths for lasting change.

30:27

"Unlock Motivation: Overcome Self-Sabotage with CBT"

  • Dr. Judy's book "Stop Self Sabotage" is recommended for self-improvement, focusing on unlocking motivation and willpower.
  • The book offers six steps to help individuals overcome self-sabotage and improve self-motivation.
  • Dr. Judy's podcast combines motivation and self-improvement, providing actionable insights for listeners.
  • Behavioral experiments are suggested to challenge core beliefs and shake their foundation.
  • Core beliefs are described as absolute and black-and-white thinking patterns that can be challenged through behavioral experiments.
  • Cognitive distortions, such as catastrophizing and black-and-white thinking, are linked to core beliefs.
  • Dr. Judy emphasizes the importance of behavioral experiments in changing thought patterns and beliefs.
  • Dr. Judy encourages individuals of any age to retrain their thinking through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
  • CBT empowers individuals to manage negative thoughts and develop a plan to address them effectively.
  • Dr. Judy's resources on CBT and trauma-focused CBT in the Med Circle video library offer additional support for individuals seeking to change their thought patterns.

45:16

"Med Circle: Therapy Series and Visualization Techniques"

  • Dr. Judy at Med Circle offers series on somatic experiencing, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy.
  • Therapists often use mixed modality approaches, combining therapies like CBT, ACT, and DBT based on patient needs.
  • Med Circle members are encouraged to explore different treatment series to understand therapy applications.
  • Dr. Judy plans to discuss specific CBT tools like behavioral experiments, visualization, and creating new narratives in detail.
  • Visualization is a powerful tool, akin to mental rehearsal, with studies showing its effectiveness in various fields like sports.
  • Dr. Judy supports various visualization techniques, emphasizing the importance of finding what works best for each individual.
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