ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the sentence completion. As core beliefs are usually stated in global terms, the therapist can write on her whiteboard or flip chart the following incomplete sentences and ask the client to 'fill in the blanks' to find his core beliefs about himself, others and the world: I am powerless, People are threatening, The world is dangerous. This simple technique can prove very helpful for clients with limited intellectual and verbal abilities. Sentence completion falls just short of directly asking the client what her core beliefs are. Asking the client is the most straightforward way of eliciting core beliefs and overlooked just because the therapist favours more sophisticated techniques like the downward arrow to display his clinical skill. In some clients know what their core beliefs are and will readily tell the therapist when asked, so textbook techniques needed in these cases.
