cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy (CT) is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck, which aims to change unhelpful or inaccurate thought patterns. CT is one therapeutic approach within the larger group of cognitive behavio ...

, decatastrophizing or decatastrophization is a

cognitive restructuring Cognitive restructuring (CR) is a psychotherapeutic process of learning to identify and dispute irrational or maladaptive thoughts known as cognitive distortions,Gladding, Samuel. Counseling: A Comprehensive Review. 6th. Columbus: Pearson Educat ...

technique to treat

cognitive distortions A cognitive distortion is a thought that causes a person to perceive reality inaccurately due to being exaggerated or irrationality, irrational. Cognitive distortions are involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as ...

, such as magnification and catastrophizing, commonly seen in psychological disorders like

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

and

psychosis In psychopathology, psychosis is a condition in which a person is unable to distinguish, in their experience of life, between what is and is not real. Examples of psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized or inco ...

. The technique consists of confronting the worst-case scenario of a feared event or object, using mental imagery to examine whether the effects of the event or object have been overestimated (magnified or exaggerated) and where the patient's coping skills have been underestimated. The term was coined by

Albert Ellis Albert Ellis (September 27, 1913 – July 24, 2007) was an American psychologist and psychotherapist who founded rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). He held MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University, and was cer ...

, and various versions of the technique have been developed, most notably by

Aaron T. Beck Aaron Temkin Beck (July 18, 1921November 1, 2021) was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

. Decatastrophizing is also called the "what if" technique,Cognitive-Behavioral Theories of Counseling: Traditional and Nontraditional. IL: Charles C. Thomas, 2004 because the worst-case scenario is confronted by asking: "What if the feared event or object happened, what would occur then?" The following is an example: :"I could make an absolute fool of myself if I say the wrong thing." :"What if you say the wrong thing, what would happen then?" :"He might think I'm weird." ...

References

{{reflist Cognitive therapy