CPT Belief Challenge

The Challenging Beliefs Questionnaire

Around session five, the "Belief Challenge Sheet" is introduced. This tool contains a list of questions designed to interrogate the validity of identified points of conflict.

The patient selects a problematic belief (e.g., "I am a weak person") and subjects it to systematic scrutiny.

Typical questions include, "What is the evidence for and against this idea?", "Is this belief a habit or is it based on actual fact?", and "Are you confusing a possibility with a probability?".

The patient should not answer all questions, but those that best apply to dismantling the specific belief.

Pattern Analysis: Habit vs. Fact.

A crucial aspect is to distinguish whether a belief comes from objective data or from repetition.

The patient is asked, "Where did this blocking point come from-is it a reliable source?"

Often, trauma victims assume blame based on what others (perhaps aggressors or critical family members) told them, or on previous thought patterns, not on the reality of the event.

For example, if someone believes "I should have anticipated the attack," they are confronted with the question, "Does your belief include extreme words such as 'all,' 'always,' or 'should'?"

This helps identify dichotomous thinking and perfectionistic demand that distorts memory of the event.

Differentiating between Feelings and Facts.

The sheet also addresses "emotional reasoning" by asking, "In what ways is your blocking point based on feelings rather than facts?"

It is common for trauma survivors to feel that they are in danger or that they are at fault, and assume that this feeling is evidence of reality.

If a patient says, "I feel like I'm bad," the cognitive challenge seeks to separate the feeling of discomfort (consequence of trauma) from the behavioral evidence (facts).

By forcing the brain to look for factual evidence, the structure that sustains post-traumatic guilt and sham