Clients almost universally complain of feeling stuck. They know that change is needed but are frustrated by barriers both known and unknown. The work of cognitive therapy is to reveal those barriers in order to challenge the cognitions, or beliefs, that support them. While much of the foundational work is done during sessions, in order for clients to utilize these understandings, a rational response form can help.

You can see an example of a Rational Response Form here.

In my practice, as we dismantle the thoughts and inner processes or hot thoughts, we list each of them on a form. We then go to work disputing these hot thoughts, writing the disputations down on the form. Then we come up with opposite actions, behaviors intended to neutralize the embodied heaviness of the hot thoughts. The client then goes home with the forms and is sent on ‘mission possibles’ to perform the opposite actions.