Challenging Negative Thoughts with the ABCDE Model

Negative thoughts can feel automatic and overwhelming. The ABCDE model, first developed in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), offers a simple framework to notice these thoughts, see their impact, and create space for change.

The ABCDE Steps

• A – Activating Event
  What happened? (e.g. “I made a mistake at work.”)
  
  

• B – Belief
  What did I tell myself about it? (“I’m useless, I always get things wrong.”)
  
  

• C – Consequence
  How did I feel or act as a result? (Anxious, withdrawn, avoiding tasks.)
  
  

• D – Disputation
  How can I challenge this belief? (“One mistake doesn’t define me. Others make mistakes too. What evidence do I really have that I’m useless?”)
  
  

• E – Effective New Belief
  What’s a more balanced belief? (“I made a mistake, but I can learn from it. I’m capable of doing better next time.”)
  
  

Why It Helps

This model shows the chain between beliefs and consequences. By slowing it down and adding the “D” — disputation — we create room for kinder, more balanced perspectives. Over time, this can reduce the intensity of negative self-talk and support emotional resilience.

You Might Also Find Helpful:

• Recognising and Overcoming Negative Self-Talk — understanding the inner critic.
  
  

• Thought Diary for Negative Self-Evaluations — a journaling tool for shifting self-talk.
  
  

• The Power of Self — reflections on identity and compassion.