problem solving. Applications within therapy There are many methods used in cognitive restructuring, which usually involve identifying and labelling distorted thoughts, such as "all or none thinking, disqualifying the positive, mental filtering, jumping to conclusions, catastrophizing, emotional reasoning, should statements, and personalization." The following lists methods commonly used in cognitive restructuring: Socratic questioning Thought recording Identifying cognitive errors Examining the evidence (pro-con analysis or cost-benefits analysis) Understanding idiosyncratic meaning/semantic techniques Labeling distortions Decatastrophizing Reattribution Cognitive rehearsal Guided imagery Listing rational alternatives Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) includes awfulizing, when a person causes themselves disturbance by labelling an upcoming situation as 'awful', rather than envisaging how the situation may actually unfold, and Must-ing, when a person places a false demand on themselves that something 'must' happen (e.g. 'I must get an A in this exam'.) Criticism Critics of cognitive restructuring claim that the process of challenging dysfunctional thoughts will "teach clients to become better suppressors and avoiders of their unwanted thoughts" and that cognitive restructuring shows less immediate improvement because real-world practice is often required. Other criticisms include that the approach is mechanistic and impersonal and that the relationship between therapist and client is irrelevant. Neil Jacobson's component analysis of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), claims that the cognitive restructuring component is unnecessary, at least with depression. He argues that it is the behavioural activation components of CBT that are effective in giving therapy, not cognitive restructuring, as delivered by cognitive behavioural therapy. Others also argue that it's not necessary to challenge thoughts with cognitive restructuring. See also Cognitive science Cognitive psychology References External links A free Thinking Matters Facilitator Manual National Institute of Corrections An Overview of Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia Cognitive Restructuring - ACCI's list of erroneous beliefs of the criminal mind. Cognitive Restructuring Techniques - as pioneered by Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, and others. Cognitive restructuring worksheets - Tools that therapists use to help guide cognitive restructuring Cognitive therapy