ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses about three levels of thinking are: negative automatic thoughts (NATs), underlying assumptions/rules, and core beliefs. NATs are situation-specific and involuntarily 'pop into' a person's mind when experiencing emotional disorder such as depression or anxiety. Underlying assumptions and rules guide behaviour, set standards and provide rules to follow. These assumptions and rules are often unarticulated and can be difficult for clients to detect. Core beliefs are the third level of thought and the deepest. Negative core beliefs are overgeneralized and unconditional. They are usually formed through early learning experiences and lie dormant until activated by relevant life events. The usual treatment strategy in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is early intervention at the NATs level and then moving on to underlying assumptions/rules and core beliefs. Cognitive schemas 'are organized structures of stored information that contain individual's perceptions of self and others, goals, expectations and memories'. Core beliefs represent the content of the schemas.
