ABSTRACT
There are three levels of thought to consider. First level, Negative automatic thoughts (NATs) are situation-specific and involuntarily 'pop into' a person's mind when they are experiencing psychological difficulties. They appear plausible to them and are difficult to turn off. Second level, Underlying assumptions and rules guide behaviour and set standards. These assumptions and rules are often unarticulated and can be difficult for clients to detect, unlike NATs. Third level, Core beliefs are the deepest level of thought. Negative core beliefs are overgeneralized and unconditional. They are usually formed through earlier learning experiences and lie dormant until activated by relevant life events. Core beliefs are usually the targets of change in longstanding problems. Core beliefs can be modified indirectly by targeting NATs as they are situation-specific expressions of core beliefs. Once activated, negative core beliefs process information in a biased way that confirms them and disconfirms contradictory information.
