The TREC Debate Phase

Logical Debate as an Analysis Tool

Once the irrational beliefs (B) have been identified, TREC introduces the "D" of Debate or Disputation.

Logical Debate focuses on questioning the internal coherence of the patient's thinking. The therapist guides the person to analyze whether his or her premises make sense.

For example, if someone believes "I need to be loved by everyone to be happy," the Logical Debate would ask, "Is it logical to think that happiness, which is an internal state, is mathematically dependent on the approval of 100% of the people you know?"

It seeks to show that the conclusions reached by the patient do not follow logically from the facts, breaking the chain of fallacious reasoning.

Empirical Debate and the Search for Evidence

The Empirical Debate invites the patient to act like a scientist looking for evidence in reality. The central question here is: "Where is the evidence?".

If a patient states, "It's terrible and I won't be able to cope if I get laid off," the Empirical Debate confronts him or her with reality: "Do you have evidence that you literally could not survive? Have you seen other people get laid off and go on with their lives? Will losing your job physically disintegrate you?"

The goal is to align thinking with observable reality, demonstrating that, while the events may be unpleasant, they are rarely the insurmountable catastrophes that the neurotic mind projects.

The Pragmatic Debate and the Utility of Thought

Finally, the Pragmatic or Functional Debate focuses on the consequences of holding a belief. It is not whether the thought is true or false, but whether it is useful.

The therapist asks, "Where does thinking like this lead you; does it help you achieve your goals or does it take you away from them?"

If the belief "I must constantly worry to be safe" generates paralysis and ulcers, pragmatically it is a useless and harmful belief.

This approach motivates the patient to abandon his dogmas not because they are false, but because they are costly to his emotional well-being and life goals.

Summary

Once the irrational beliefs have been identified, the Disputation phase begins. The logical debate questions the internal coherence of the thought, analyzing whether the patient's premises make rational sense.

The empirical debate invites the patient to act as a scientist looking for evidence. Catastrophic claims are confronted with observable reality to demonstrate that the events are not insurmountable.

Finally, the pragmatic debate eva luates the usefulness of the thinking. The goal is not only to find the truth, but to determine whether holding that belief aids well-being or generates useless suffering.