What is CBT?

CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is the world’s most researched and widely used therapeutic approach for better mental health. Practicing CBT allows everyone to quickly identity the lies we are telling ourselves daily, otherwise known as cognitive distortions. An example of a cognitive distortion is all-or-nothing thinking: “If I fail this exam, my life is ruined.” 

By removing or challenging the all-or-nothing thinking, we bring healthier balance to our perspective: “If I study hard, I have a better chance of passing this exam. I will put in the necessary effort to give myself the best chance of success.” The mental balance is achieved by challenging each cognitive distortion. CBT is not a one-time practice, it’s an everyday discipline – much like exercise. The more you do it, the better you become at recognizing and flipping cognitive distortions. 

JournalOwl recognizes fourteen (14) cognitive distortions. OwlBot™, our artificial intelligence (AI) driven CBT coach, helps you recognize and change your thinking to overcome life challenges. With our 21-day journaling challenges, OwlBot is on your side to help recognize potential cognitive distortions as you dive deeper and deeper into setting aside bad habits or establishing positive patterns. 

OwlBot draws on the CBT therapeutic framework with a combination of evidence-based research to help you overcome challenges. Journalers can leverage four (4) methods to overcome obstacles:  

1. Expressive writing with everyday journaling
2. OwlBot to identify and correct cognitive distortions
3. Channels with live community chat from other overcomers
4. Therapeutic counseling from real Owls 

You can check-in with OwlBot anytime of the day as you progress through our 21-day challenges. Below are the cognitive distortions that he tries to help you identify:

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking. “If I fail this exam, my life is ruined.”
2. Overgeneralization. “Everyone dislikes me.”
3. Filtering Out Positives. “Nothing good happened to me today.”
4. Jumping to Conclusions. “She didn’t say hi, therefore she hates me.”
5. Mind Reading. “He doesn’t want to talk to me.”
6. Fortune-Telling. “I’ll fail my exam.”
7. Magnification of the Negative. “This job loss is like death.”
8. Minimization of the Positive. “That compliment was fake.”
9. Catastrophizing. “What if a nuclear war erupts with China?”
10. Emotional Reasoning. “I feel insecure and dumb, therefore I must be.”
11. Should / Must Statements. “I should have done this, or I should have done that.”
12. Labeling. “I’m a total loser.”
13. Self-blaming. “This is my fault.”
14. Other-blaming. “This is their fault.”