Socratic Questioning Examples in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

The Socratic questioning is a technique used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to enable the client to evaluate and ultimately change their thoughts. Properly done, Socratic questions can lead to symptom change. Examples of Socratic questions include:

☐What is the evidence your belief is true?
☐What is the evidence you belief is not true?
☐Is there another point of view?
☐Are you misinterpreting the evidence?
☐What would you advise a friend who told you something similar?
☐What would be good to do now?
☐What would you like to do about this situation?

Not every Socratic question above is going to be relevant to every automatic thought or underlying assumption so use the list as a guide only. I want to stress that we are not just firing questions at the client. In reality this process is more conversational which is why is a lot of therapists prefer the term socratic dialogue rather than socratic questioning. We also engage in socratic dialogue over a number of sessions.

Good socratic questions will encourage the client to revaluate a negative automatic thought and construct a healthy and balanced thought. Because thoughts and feelings are so closely connected, if you change how you think you will notice a corresponding change in your mood. By using socratic dialogue you are helping the client to become their own therapist and consciously challenge and change their own thoughts.

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If you'd like to work with me, or a member of the Lewis Psychology team, please click on the links below:

☐ Lewis Psychology CIC (for face to face therapy): https://www.lewispsy.org.uk
☐ Lewis Psychology Online (for online therapy): https://lewispsyonline.co.uk

🔵 CHAPTERS

0:00 What is the Socratic Method?
1:05 Examples of Socratic Questions
4:28 If Socratic Questions don't work

🔵 CBT BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

☐ The Clinician's Guid to CBT Using Mind Over Mood by Christine A. Padesky. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: https://amzn.to/409z8ko

☐ Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Hi7lp9

☐ Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Basics and Beyond by Judith Beck. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RfTN2f

🔵 ABOUT TERESA LEWIS

Teresa Lewis is the founder and Director of Lewis Psychology and a Senior Accredited psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Snr. Accred). Qualified in 1995, Teresa has been providing counselling and psychotherapy treatment for nearly 30 years. Teresa holds a masters degree in counselling and psychotherapy and is a qualified EMDR Practitioner having completed training accredited with EMDR Europe. Teresa is also a qualified adult educator and an accredited Mindfulness teacher As a recognised expert in her field Teresa is frequently asked to conduct editorial reviews and endorse counselling and psychotherapy books for international publishing houses.

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