Helping the client relate to worry as a mental process about the future, rather than as a demand for immediate control or certainty.
Step-by-step guide
- Identify the worry topic and the feared future
- Name it as worry: a process, not a prediction
- Ask what certainty the client is trying to obtain
- Use decentering language: 'I am having worry about.'
- Return to the current signal and current action
- Choose a small step that does not require certainty
When to use
- With future-focused repetitive negative thinking
- In GAD and anticipatory anxiety
- When the client tries to think their way into certainty
Key phrases
Can we treat this as worry, not as a forecast?
Follow-up questions
What certainty are you trying to get?
What does the worry ask you to do?
What action fits your values even without certainty?
Alternative phrasings
You do not need to finish the worry before you can act.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not argue about whether the feared future is possible
- ⚠️ The target is the relationship to worry, not reassurance
Source: Mennin & Fresco, 2014
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.