Overgeneralising: when one bad moment becomes the whole story
Overgeneralising is when you take one negative event and apply it to everything, like “I failed once, so I always will.” Learning to see each situation on its own can help you respond more realistically and kindly to yourself.
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What does the Overgeneralising Mini Course cover?
What overgeneralising is, how it sounds when one bad moment becomes a never-ending pattern, the warning words such as always and never, and three CBT steps for checking the evidence and seeing each situation on its own.
Who is this Overgeneralising Mini Course for?
Helpful if you:
🔁 Turn one setback into proof that nothing ever works
😔 Hear yourself say always or never about yourself
🔎 Want to judge each situation on its own
For therapists:
Assign this course when overgeneralisation features in a client's formulation. Their specific example and counter-examples give ready material for cognitive restructuring in 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.”
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., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. Guilford Press. — Foundational CBT text that describes overgeneralising as a core cognitive distortion linked with depression and negative thinking. Williams, J. M. G., et al. (2007). Autobiographical memory specificity and emotional disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 122–148. — Reviews overgeneral memory (a form of overgeneralisation) and its relationship with depression and PTSD. Kuyken, W., et al. (2009). Overgeneral autobiographical memory and future thinking in depression and anxiety: Common and specific features. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47(5), 428–433. — Shows that overgeneralising patterns in memory and prediction are linked with emotional disorders.
