ABSTRACT
Inserting the word 'feel' into a sentence does not turn the sentence into a feeling. People often say 'I feel' when they actually mean 'I think', such as 'I feel that my son and me are slowly drifting apart'. However, in CBT it is crucial to make such corrections because by modifying dysfunctional thoughts distressing feelings moderated; so clients need to learn to distinguish between genuine thoughts and emotions. Greenberger and Padesky suggest as a general rule that 'moods identified in one descriptive word. If it takes you more than one word to describe a mood, you describe a thought'. Some clients may use one word to describe their feelings such as 'bad', 'crap' or 'shit'. Unfortunately, these kinds of one-word descriptions, though vivid, do not pinpoint which one-word emotions cognitive behaviour therapists. By asking the client about his thoughts and behaviour, the therapist reveals the client's 'shit' feeling as guilt or stay with his own idiosyncratic usage.
