Descending Arrow Technique

Objective: Uncovering the Core Belief

The descending arrow (or downward arrow) technique is a vertical method of inquiry designed to go beyond superficial automatic thoughts and get to the patient's core beliefs or deep schemas.

Often, the automatic thoughts ("My boss gave me a dirty look") are only the tip of the iceberg.

The therapist does not debate this first thought, but temporarily assumes it to be true in order to inquire about its underlying meaning.

The goal is not to solve the surface problem, but to expose the cognitive root that fuels multiple surface problems.

The Personal Meaning Question

The mechanics involve stringing together questions along the lines of, "If this were true, what would that mean to you?" or "What does this say about you as a person?"

Imagine an executive who thinks, "I won't finish the report on time."

The therapist asks, "And if you don't finish it, what does that mean?" She replies, "That my boss will be disappointed."

The therapist continues, "And what does it mean to you that he is disappointed?". She says, "That I'm not professional."

The therapist persists, "And if you're not professional, what does that mean about you?". Finally, she concludes, "That I am a total failure."

Here we have arrived at the core belief ("I am a failure") that was hidden.

Identification of Helplessness or Helplessness Schemes

When we reach the end of the chain of questions, we usually find absolute and painful statements that fall into two main categories: Helplessness (e.g. "I am incompetent", "I am weak", "I am helpless") or Unloveability (e.g. "I do not deserve to be loved", "I will always be rejected", "I am toxic").

Once this core belief is exposed, the patient usually experiences a strong emotional resonance ("Yes, that is exactly how I feel").

At this point, the therapist stops the downward arrow and begins restructuring work on that root belief, as modifying this deep schema will have a positive ripple effect on all derived automatic thoughts.

Summary

This method of vertical inquiry seeks to go beyond surface thoughts. It aims to expose the deep core beliefs that act as the hidden root of multiple current problems and automatic thoughts.

It consists of stringing together questions about the personal meaning of thoughts, temporarily assuming them to be true. It repeatedly asks "What would that mean to you?" to deepen layers until the core schema is reached.

Absolute schemas of helplessness or unloveability often emerge at the end. Once this painful root is exposed, you can work directly on restructuring it to generate a positive ripple effect throughout cognition.