Martijn van Teffelen

Chapter 5 118 Suddenly, a loud noise wakes you up in the middle of the night. Can you see the image of [REPEAT THE HELPFUL IMAGE OF THE PARTICIPANT]? What do you feel now (in your body)? And what do you do? You can open your eyes again. You are back again. I would now like to discuss these two images. What do you notice about these images? The difference shows that it is not the situation (the loud noise), but the image we create (the burglar, or something harmless) that determines what you will feel, such as anger, sadness, or fear. In the technique we are about to use we will challenge the thoughts that underly these images. When you are ready, we can work with the negative event you’ve experienced.” Phase 2: Recall Part 2.1: Identifying the hostile belief THERAPIST: “I would like to discuss a negative event you’ve been through, that triggered anger which still, at this very moment, makes you angry when you think back at to it. 3 Can you recall an event that made you angry? If you remember multiple situations, please select the one that made you most angry.” 4, 5 THERAPIST “What happened?” WHITEBOARD HEADER: SITUATION THERAPIST: “What went through your mind? What did you think of it? Is this the thought that made you most angry? “What is the worst thing about the event? What were the consequences? What does this say about the intention of the other person involved?” WHITEBOARD HEADER: BELIEF ! Formulate hostile belief in one concise sentence (as aggressive as possible) ! FRAME: [AGGRESSOR] [VICTIM] [ACT] [HOSTILE INTENTION] ! Stick to a participant’s words, do not interpret them 3 Extra information. The situation should ideally be emotionally ambiguous. The hostile belief should involve a harmful intention of another person. When the participant does not come up with a hostile intention (e.g., he did it on purpose) by himself, you can suggest it. 4 Tip. When the event concerns harm done to someone else, ask: “how did it influence you?” 5 Tip. Beliefs should not be weakened/rationalized. Beware social desirability.