ABC Model therapy


What is the ABC model
The ABC model is a foundational framework in cognitive-behavioral psychology that helps explain how thoughts and beliefs influence emotions and behaviors. The model breaks down emotional responses into three components:
  • A (Activating Event): An external triggering event; situation, actions of others; mental activating events like preoccupations about the future or your future self.
  • B (Beliefs): The beliefs about the activating event or the thoughts; interpretations that are based on underlying beliefs; deviations away from your expectations (like roles in relationships), etc;
  • C (Consequences): Your emotional and behavioral responses that result from those beliefs.
According to the ABC model, it is NOT the event itself (A) that directly causes emotional or behavioral responses (C), but rather the beliefs (B) about the event. In many cases, an activating event sets off this triad; your thoughts interpret the event, which creates feelings and influences your behavior.
 
Uses & benefits of the ABC model
Therapists often provide a table that allows patients to fill out with their ABCs. Filling out this table gives the patient an opportunity to capture and analyze their self-talk. The consequent insight allows individuals to identify and challenge irrational or unhelpful beliefs in order to improve the consequence (C), ie emotional regulation and develop healthier coping strategies. The 2 following basic examples illustrate a similar scenario (one person does not respond when another reaches out socially). In the second example; notice how one activating situation could motivate one of many types of B & C responses, ie thoughts and emotions / feelings, BASED ON UNDERLYING BELIEFS. The ABC model is widely used in therapeutic settings to help people better understand the links between their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
In other words and considering the different outcomes in the 2nd example, the exercise helps patients to change their beliefs about situations. These irrational beliefs are called ´cognitive distortions´.
This process can help disrupt the progression of downward (depressive) spirals and snow balling effects. For instance, consequences (C) like social anxiety and your racing heart rate from earlier activating events can linger and promote new negative thoughts and emotions (B) like new thoughts “I am having a heart attack”, which may escalate into a full panic attack. For instance, if you had already been anxious from an initial event, a second negative situation will seem to confirm the negative thoughts from the earlier instance. In other words, all of your various consequences interact with each other to create the panic attack.
 
Basic Example 1
While patients complete A, B and C alone, he or she works through the cognitive restructuring components (D and E) along with the therapist. 
  • A (Activating Event): Jamie doesn't get a reply to a text message they sent to a friend.
  • B (Belief - Irrational): "They must be ignoring me. I must have done something wrong. Nobody really likes me."
  • C (Consequence):
    • Jamie feels anxious and rejected (Consequence as FEELINGS)
    • Jamie avoids texting anyone else out of fear of being ignored again. (Consequence as ACTION)
  • D (disputation of evidence in 'B'): Identifying the cognitive distortions or other Irrational Beliefs. Done with the therapist.
    • Jamie believes they are being ignored on purpose and assumes it means something negative about their worth or relationships. This belief is irrational because it jumps to conclusions without evidence and applies a negative interpretation to a neutral event.
    • E Challenging and Replacing the Belief: Done with the therapist.
      • With support (e.g., through therapy), Jamie learns to question this belief:
      • "Maybe they're just busy or haven’t seen the message yet. It doesn't mean they dislike me."
New Consequence (Improved Coping):
    • Jamie feels more calm and reassured. Instead of withdrawing, they give their friend some time and focus on something else they enjoy. When the friend replies later and apologizes for the delay, Jamie realizes their new thinking helped them cope better and avoid unnecessary distress.
 
Basic Example 2:
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Video by third party Self-Help Toons called 'The ABCs of CBT: Thoughts, Feelings and Behavior' (above)
 
Considerations when using the ABC model
To facilitate analysis of the ABCs and Cognitive Restructuring, not only to build awareness of the distortions but also to learn how to correct them, some practitioners have extended the ABC model to include categories D and E for "Dispute of Evidence" as shown above. 
Rate each component (A, B and C) as follows. This brings more depth to your analysis. For instance, if your beliefs are “rational” and they are based on “external” activating events, your “negative” consequences, perhaps of fear are justifiable. Such a situation may truly be outside the scope of the ABC model and need to be escalated otherwise, maybe even to law enforcement.
  • A:           external               OR          internal
  • B:           rational                OR          irrational. You may classify the type of cognitive distortion.
  • C:           positive                OR          negative
While not part of the ABC model per se, some practitioners refer to another model to prompt a more detailed analysis of your response to each activating event. This other model is called ´the Cognitive Behavioral Triad or CBT Triangle’. In my head, I nickname it the trinity: thoughts, emotions and actions
  • Thoughts (what you think)
  • Feelings (what you feel)
  • Behaviors (what you do)
 
Another variation to the triad is to assess behaviors (B) component in terms of the following.
  1. (Negative) views about the self (“I’m not good enough”). Remain open to the possibilities. For instance, internal triggers may even include physical sensations.
  2. (Negative) views about the world (“The world is unfair”)
  3. (Negative) views about the future (“Things will never get better”)
 
If they exist, classify cognitive distortions. Below are the most common types of "cognitive distortions" that may be identified and targeted to reshape unhelpful beliefs (B).
All-or-Nothing Thinking               aka Black-and-White Thinking
Definition: Seeing things in extremes—everything is either all good or all bad.
Example(s):
  • “If I don’t get an A on this test, I’m a total failure.”
Negative core beliefs
Definition: Deep, foundational beliefs formed through trauma or chronic distress.
Example(s):
  • “I am unlovable.”
  • “People are dangerous.”
  • “The world is unsafe.”
  • “I can’t trust anyone.”
Overgeneralization
Definition: Making broad conclusions based on a single event.
Example(s):
  • “I didn’t get the job I interviewed for. I’ll never be successful.”
3. Mental Filtering
Definition: Focusing only on the negative aspects of a situation and ignoring the positives.
Example(s):
  • “Everyone complimented my presentation, but one person criticized it, so it must have been terrible.”
4. Disqualifying the Positive
Definition: Rejecting positive experiences or feedback as unimportant or invalid.
Example(s):
  • “They said I did a good job, but they were probably just being nice.”
5. Jumping to Conclusions
  • a) Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking.
    • Example: “She didn’t say hi, so she must be angry with me.”
  • b) Fortune Telling: Predicting things will turn out badly.
    • Example: “I just know this meeting will go horribly.”
6. Catastrophizing (Magnification)
  • Definition: Exaggerating the importance of problems or imagining the worst-case scenario.
  • Example: “If I make a mistake during my speech, everyone will laugh and I’ll never live it down.”
7. Minimization
  • Definition: Downplaying positive traits or accomplishments.
  • Example: “Sure I won, but it wasn’t a big deal. Anyone could’ve done it.”
8. Emotional Reasoning
  • Definition: Believing that feelings reflect objective reality.
  • Example: “I feel anxious, so something bad must be about to happen.”
9. Should Statements
  • Definition: Holding unrealistic or rigid rules for yourself or others.
  • Example: “I should always be happy and productive. If I’m not, I’m failing.”
10. Labeling and Mislabeling
  • Definition: Assigning global negative labels to yourself or others.
  • Example: “I forgot to send the email—I’m such an idiot.”
11. Personalization, aka self-blame, internalized guilt
Definition: Blaming yourself for events outside your control.
Example:
  • “My friend is upset—this must be my fault.”
  • “If only I had done X instead, the bad thing would never have happened”.
 
 
 
CONTENT RELATED TO PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ABC MODEL IN COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT)
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