self—leadership studies with its unique approach to problem solving.
Cognitive therapy (CT) was developed in the 19605 by Dr. Aaron T.
Beck, based on the premise that the way we perceive situations influences how we feel emotionally about the situations. So it is not the situation per se that directly affects how a person feels emotionally but rather her or his thoughts about that situation. When people are in distress, they often do not think clearly and their thoughts are distorted in some way. Cognitive therapy helps people to identify their
distressing thoughts and to evaluate how realistic the thoughts are.
Then they learn to change their distorted thinking. When they think
more realistically, they feel better. Table 2.3 shows some common
distorted thinking patterns. Do you recognize any in yourself?
Recognizing one’s own distortive thinlting patterns is a great
start for self-leadership practice. By practicmg this recogniti
eventually you will be able to catch the distortion before it ruins a,
situation, a relationship, or even parts of your life.