Challenging Negative Thoughts: a CBT mini course for answering back to your inner critic
Reviewed By
Dr Harriet Mellotte - Clinical Psychologist, CBT & EMDR Therapist, NHS and Private Practice
Negative thoughts can feel completely true, especially when we’re low or anxious. However, CBT teaches us that just because a thought feels true, doesn’t mean that it is true.
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What does the Challenging Negative Thoughts Mini Course cover?
How automatic negative thoughts arise, the common thinking traps such as catastrophising and mind reading, and practical CBT methods for questioning thoughts and finding more balanced alternatives.
Who is this Challenging Negative Thoughts Mini Course for?
Helpful if you:
😔 Feel low or anxious
💭 Believe your negative thoughts as facts
🔎 Want practical CBT skills to think more clearly
For therapists:
Assign this course as psychoeducation early in CBT so clients arrive at sessions understanding the cognitive model. Review their completed reflections before the next session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
Why do negative thoughts feel so true?
Thoughts arrive with a feeling of certainty, and when we are low or anxious the brain preferentially recalls evidence that matches the mood. CBT calls these automatic thoughts: fast, believable and often distorted. Feeling true and being true are not the same thing, and learning to spot the difference is the core skill this course teaches.
What techniques does this course cover?
You will learn to catch automatic thoughts, identify common thinking traps such as catastrophising and mind reading, and question thoughts using evidence-based CBT methods. The course is interactive, so you practise on your own real thoughts rather than just reading theory.
How long does the course take?
It is a mini course designed to be completed in short sessions. Most people finish it comfortably within a week doing a few minutes at a time, and you can return to any section whenever a difficult thought shows up.
Will this help with anxiety or depression?
Challenging negative thoughts is a central technique in CBT, which is recommended by NICE for both anxiety and depression. A self-guided course is not a substitute for therapy, but it teaches the same core skill, and many therapists assign this course to clients between sessions.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Explore Offload for therapistsReferences
Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press. Foundational work by Aaron Beck, introducing the concept of cognitive distortions and how challenging negative thoughts can reduce depressive symptoms. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). "The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses." Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. A comprehensive review showing that CBT techniques such as identifying and reframing negative automatic thoughts are highly effective for anxiety and depression. Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. New York: Guilford Press. Provides evidence on how challenging distorted thoughts helps reduce anxiety, explaining the mechanisms behind thought monitoring and cognitive restructuring.
