How To Use the Triple Column Technique to Defeat Negative Self-Talk

“Your mind believes what you tell it.” — Paul J. Meyer

Negative self-talk is a common problem.  The trick is to learn how to turn your inner dialogue from a critic to a coach.

The Triple Column Technique is a proven practice for improving your internal self-critical dialogue.

In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns introduces the Triple Column Technique as a method for developing a more effective self-evaluation system.

Key Takeaways

Here are the key points:

• Train yourself to write down your critical thoughts.  Train yourself to write down critical thoughts that run through your mind.
• Identify distortions.  Learn why these thoughts are distorted.
• Talk back to your distorted thoughts.  Practice talking back to them to develop a more realistic self-evaluation system.

Summary of Steps

According to Burns, the keys steps to use the Triple Column Technique are as follows:

• Step 1 – Create the Triple Column Technique table.
• Step 2 – List your self-criticism.
• Step 3 – Identify cognitive distortions.
• Step 4 – Identify rational thoughts.

Step 1 – Create the Triple Column Technique table

According to Burns, to create the table for the Triple Column Technique:

1. Draw two lines down the center of a piece of paper to divide it into thirds.
2. Label the left-hand column “Automatic Thoughts (Self-cricitism)
3. Label the middle column “Cognitive Distortion”
4. Label the right-hand column “ Rational Response (Self-defense)”

Step 2. List your self-criticism.

According to Burns, in the left-hand column, write down all the hurtful self-criticisms you make when you are feeling worthless and down on yourself.

Step 3 – Identify cognitive distortions.

According to Burns, in the middle column, write down the cognitive distortions.

Using the list of 10 Distorted Thinking Patterns , see if you can identify the thinking errors in each of your automatic negative thoughts.

The 10 Distorted Thinking Patterns are:

• All-or-nothing thinking
• Overgeneralization
• Mental filter
• Disqualifying the positive
• Jumping to conclusions (Mind reading, fortunate teller error)
• Magnification or Minimization
• Emotional reasoning
• Should statements,
• Labeling and Mislabeling,
• Personalization.

Step 4 – Identify rational thoughts.

According to Burns, substitute a more rationale, less upsetting thought in the right-hand column.

Don’t try to cheer yourself up by rationalizing or saying things you don’t objectively believe are valid. Instead, try to find a more objective fact.

Your response can take into account what was illogical or erroneous about your self-critical automatic thought.

Example Triple Column Technique

Burns includes an example of a Triple Column Technique:

 

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