Brilliant Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, 2nd Edition

Strategies for accessing hot thoughts

• What did the trigger mean?

Trigger event:	Examiner tells me I have failed my driving test.
Meaning:	‘I can’t get anything right.’

• Complete the following sentence: ‘When X occurred my feelings told me...’

Trigger event:	Briefly losing child in the supermarket.
Meaning:	‘When I couldn’t see Arthur my feelings immediately screamed at me that he had been taken.’

• What was the worst thing about [trigger event]?

Trigger event:	Feeling unwell on the train.
Worst implication:	‘I could have fainted and been completely helpless…’

• If I could put the feeling into words what would they be?

Trigger event:	Putting letter in letter box.
Feeling in words:	Guilt – ‘I should have ...