In this episode of Real Life with Radelle, Radelle Jensen, a registered psychologist, introduces the foundations of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT.
The way we interpret an event can influence how we feel, how our bodies respond, and what we do next. This does not mean that every thought is true, that difficult experiences are our fault, or that we can simply “think positive” to solve every problem. Instead, CBT helps us notice the stories our minds create and evaluate whether those stories are accurate, helpful, or connected to a real concern.
In this episode, Radelle discusses:
● Why the same situation can lead to very different emotional reactions
● How interpretations can influence stress responses and behaviour
● Common cognitive distortions, including mind reading, catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralizing, “should” statements, personalization, and emotional reasoning
● Why CBT is not about gaslighting yourself or ignoring genuine problems
● How to distinguish between an unhelpful thinking pattern and an accurate concern
● The importance of noticing automatic thoughts before trying to change them
● How creating space between an event and your response can support greater choice and flexibility
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About Radelle Jensen
Radelle Jensen is a registered psychologist who provides general psychological education and advice through Real Life with Radelle.
Radelle also offers a parenting course called Being a Happy, Connected Parent, designed to help parents build stronger relationships with their children and create more connection in everyday family life.
You can learn more about the course here:
https://beholdtheconnection.podia.com/being-a-happy-connected-parent
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Disclaimer
The information shared on Real Life with Radelle is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individualized psychological assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical advice.
Every person and situation is different. The strategies discussed in this episode may not be appropriate for everyone, and listening to this show does not create a psychologist-client relationship with Radelle Jensen.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, feel that you may be at risk of harming yourself or someone else, or need urgent medical or psychological support, contact your local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are in Canada or the United States, you can call or text 988 for immediate crisis support. If you are elsewhere, contact your local crisis line or emergency service.
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Research:
Hofmann, S. G., et al. (2012). The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research. The review identified 269 meta-analytic studies of CBT and reviewed a representative group of 106 across a broad range of psychological and health-related conditions. (PubMed)
Jamieson, J. P., Nock, M. K., & Mendes, W. B. (2012). Mind over matter: Reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Participants who were taught to reinterpret stress arousal showed changes in cardiovascular responding and attention during a stressful task. (PubMed)
Buhle, J. T., et al. (2014). Cognitive reappraisal of emotion: A meta-analysis of human neuroimaging studies. Cerebral Cortex. Across 48 neuroimaging studies, cognitive reappraisal consistently recruited cognitive-control regions and modulated amygdala activity. (PubMed)
Berboth, S., & Morawetz, C. (2021). Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity during emotion regulation: A meta-analysis. Neuropsychologia. Findings support the involvement of prefrontal-amygdala connectivity during cognitive regulation and reappraisal of emotion. (PubMed)
Atlas, L. Y. (2023). How Instructions, Learning, and Expectations Shape Pain and Neurobiological Responses. Annual Review of Neuroscience. Research on expectancy and placebo effects demonstrates that expectations can influence subjective pain through identifiable neural systems. (PubMed)
Ren, J., et al. (2025). Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Brain Activation in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety Disorders. A meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 443 patients found changes in patterns of brain activation following CBT, including regions involved in emotion regulation and cognitive control. (PubMed)
Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The cognitive model describes how our perceptions and spontaneous thoughts about situations influence emotional, behavioural, and physiological reactions; CBT teaches people to identify and evaluate these automatic thoughts rather than assuming they are facts. (Beck Institute)