Creating distance between the person and their thoughts. A thought is not a fact; it is an event in the mind. The client moves from "I am a failure" to "I am having the thought that I am a failure," and sometimes further to "my mind is generating a failure story."
Step-by-step guide
- Ask: "Is this a fact or a thought?"
- If it is a thought, ask for a more distanced formulation.
- Practice: "I am having the thought that."
- Discuss how the relationship to the thought changes.
- Add third-person naming if useful: "my inner critic says."
- Assign noticing thoughts from a distance during the day.
When to use
- OCD where intrusive thoughts are treated as threats
- Panic disorder with trigger thoughts
- Intrusive shameful or harmful thoughts
- When thoughts are experienced as literal reality
Key phrases
Is this a fact, or a thought your mind is producing? Try saying: "I am having the thought that." What changes?
Follow-up questions
Does this thought show up often?
Are you the thought, or the person noticing it?
What if this thought is only a thought, not an instruction?
Alternative phrasings
Instead of "I am anxious," try: "I am a person who is feeling anxiety right now."
My inner critic says this, but that is its voice, not my sentence.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not use distancing to deny emotion.
- ⚠️ Explain the purpose first; otherwise it can sound detached.
- ⚠️ Do not use as the main strategy in acute crisis.
Source: Mindfulness-based CBT; ACT; CBT adaptations
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.