ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the cognitive methods and practices used to challenge erroneous conclusions, limiting assumptions, maladaptive self-talk, and impoverished beliefs. A brief history of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is provided, and the CBT model is explained. A distinction is made between cognitive therapy and cognitive coaching, and those parts of the cognitive-behavioral model that fit the purpose of coaching are highlighted. The reader is taught how the feeling states of clients are produced by their thinking patterns and, therefore, can be altered by changing how they talk to themselves. Parent, Child, and Adult ego states are reintroduced as coherent systems of thought, with each ego state having a cognitive structure of self-talk unique to that ego state. This chapter describes how the self-talk associated with the Parent and Child ego states can become debilitating to goal achievement. Readers are taught how to elicit self-talk and challenge contaminated self-talk detrimental to the client’s purposes. Finally, the reader is informed on how to raise client awareness of thinking patterns interfering with goal achievement.
