Managing Doubt and Uncertainty

Doubt as a normal mental event, not as a sign of inability

Doubt is a universal experience, but we often misinterpret it as a sign of incompetence or a prediction of impending failure.

From the perspective of this therapy, doubt is reframed not as a character flaw, but as a natural and expected mental event, especially when faced with significant challenges or new tasks.

Our mind, in its function of protecting survival, generates uncertainty to force us to be cautious.

The problem arises when we merge with doubt and interpret it literally as a "stop" signal: "If I doubt, I am not ready".

Imagine an experienced surgeon before a complex operation or a performer before going on stage.

Both are likely to experience thoughts of doubt: "What if it goes wrong?", "Have I checked everything?". If they merge with these thoughts, they could paralyze themselves.

However, professional competence lies not in the absence of doubt, but in the ability to proceed with the right action despite its presence. Doubt is simply mental "radio noise."

In advanced work with difficult thoughts, we teach the client to normalize uncertainty.

He or she is invited to say, "Ah, here's my mind doing its job as a doubt generator. Thanks for the heads up, but I'm going to move on."

It's about carrying doubt in our pocket as we walk, rather than letting doubt build a wall along the way.

Avoid over-seeking reassurance

A very common safety behavior associated with doubt is the compulsive search for reassurance or external validation.

When internal doubt becomes intolerable, the person tends to ask others, "Do you think I did it right?", "Are you sure you're not angry?", "Is this the right decision?".

Although the affirmative answer provides immediate relief from anxiety, this relief is short-lived and generates dependency.

In the long run, every time we seek external reassurance, we are sending a message to our own brain, "I am not capable of trusting my own judgment; I need someone else to know what is real."This erodes self-confidence and perpetuates the cycle of doubt.

To break this pattern, the intervention focuses on tolerating the discomfort of not knowing for sure.

The client is encouraged to make decisions based on his or her values and to take the risk of being wrong, without frantically consulting those around him or her.

If a student doubts whether he has studied enough, instead of asking his teacher or peers repeatedly, he is invited to sit with the feeling of uncertainty an