Thinking pattern
Draft — not clinically reviewed yetEmotional reasoning
"I feel it, therefore it's true" — feelings are real signals, but they are not always accurate readouts of facts.
Source: Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
For learning and reflection — not diagnosis or treatment. Willow isn't your therapist or crisis line. Based on Sokol & Fox (2019). In crisis? See crisis resources or findahelpline.com.
The pattern
Emotional reasoning treats emotion as proof:
- "I feel guilty, so I must have done something wrong."
- "I feel terrified, so danger must be imminent."
Feelings are valid experiences — cognitive behavioral therapy distinguishes that from accuracy of the linked thought.
Useful frame
- Name the feeling (0–10 if helpful).
- Ask: What thought came with or before it?
- Gather evidence for and against the thought — see Socratic questioning.
Not invalidating
Willow does not say "just don't feel that." It asks whether the thought driving the feeling is the best read of the situation.
Try it next
Share a strong feeling and the sentence your mind attached to it.
From the guide
The feeling is real. Whether the thought driving it is the most accurate read is a separate question.
— Tone and validation stance; Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
From the guide
We couldn't pull book excerpts right now. The summary above still follows the same source material.
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