Dysfunctional Distortion Of Labeling

Labeling, overgeneralization, and fortune telling, people have a propensity for these types of negative thoughts, which lead to dysfunctional living. Why would it be any different with one of our clients? Not at all, since they are making the wrong choices ending up being court mandated for treatment. Clients are perpetuating the bad decisions through their evidence of false reality. Therefore these three irrational held distortions are just a few that are challenging for our clients to break and restructure their habit of thinking in a healthy way (Erford, Hays, & Crockett, 2014, p. 135).
The irrational distortion of labeling happens when clients automatically assume a fault within themselves by giving a descriptive connotation of their error. For instance, a client makes a mistake and says, “I’m so dumb,” or “I’m an idiot.” Instead of accepting we are just human and prone to creating a variety of blunders, the negative, irrational labels come to life. Next overgeneralization, a few of our clients from domestic violence and anger management assume “All the women in Miami are gold diggers,” and “All men are dogs.” The negative experience they have been through lets them make the wrong judgment call that inevitably passes on limiting their dating pool. Not to mention having a caustic dysfunctional distortion perspective dealing with people on a
daily basis.
Lastly, fortune telling to predict the future can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. My individual client (BS Business Finance; Status: “pre-trial diversion”) would go on interviews naturally
assuming an adverse outcome even before the interview due to his predicament with the legality issues of court. When I spoke to my supervisor about his dilemma, she offered to help. By expressing to him if they run a background check it would state “pre-trial diversion.” To clarify, all charges will be dropped and expunged on condition he complies with all the stipulations the court has mandated. Trying to educate him that people know the meaning of “pre-trial diversion.” Knowing this information just lead my client to wait out opportunistic interviews and remain a pool boy until his case is expunged. Uniquely, I think the distorted cognition that our clients are experiencing must be dealt with in a genuinely caring way. Granted they have committed some serious offense, I believe if you are empathetic to their plight (who they are, how did they manage to get to this point, why the anger, drugs, alcohol, background) and have a connection, you can step into their shoes to see and almost experience what they are feeling. Knowing how a client feels gives you access to understanding and help them. For instance, my individual client’s over-generalization of being lonely for the rest of his life has shifted from (-10 very lonely to +1 not lonely at all) a negative eight to a positive three. By demonstrating genuine concern for him, it was simple to introduce cognitive restructuring exercises along with homework of self-esteem, irrational thinking, self-regulation and daily affirmations. I think having irrational thoughts can be changed with a genuine therapeutic connection that gives clients the necessary tools to alter their thought patterns.
However, just as clients are human to falter through irrational thoughts, I can’t help feel at times a limitation to my counseling techniques. When I see my individual client have setbacks, I feel frustrated thinking it is my ineptness as a counselor. When in reality it is part of the circle of learning to digress at times to move forward. Also, negative emotions have been a habit for so long it is hard to break without some restructure of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and support of a counselor. The counselor provides the support when the client is taking those two steps back with their genuine therapeutic rapport. I finally understood I was there for my client even though I thought I wasn’t. This was an early lesson for me; not only for my individual client but future clients knowing I am helping them. You can take a few steps back to move forward.
Consequently, I don’t think I will ever stop learning but about distorted cognition, I went on a hunt for more free worksheets on the Internet. I searched several CBT sites to share with Dade Family Counseling to incorporate some of these worksheets shortly. It is not only the worksheets that help or the homework but finding behavioral therapy with my individual client seems to work. He appears to enjoy working on them. For example, saying stop out loud and the loose rubber band around his wrist to pull when you think a negative thought. Although he prefers the daily affirmations and journaling to tackle his negative thought patterns, which is a positive for me, it is a positive behavioral change.