![]() ![]() This lays the foundation for intervention. It helps clients to understand how and why these difficulties developed, and how they are maintained. Self-monitoring supports client engagement and motivation by fostering a sense of self-control and autonomy (Bornstein, Hamilton & Bornstein, 1986 Proudfoot & Nicholas, 2010). Introducing clients to self-monitoring is a straightforward way to begin this process. Why practice self-monitoring?Ĭlients are encouraged to actively participate in cognitive-behavioral treatment, so that they will develop the skills and knowledge to help them to address their difficulties. For the purposes of this and other Psychology Tools resources, the term ‘Self-Monitoring Record’ will be used. In practice, much of this terminology is interchangeable. ![]() Records can be used to record information about thoughts, memories, symptoms, or responses.Logs can be used to record the frequency of events, behaviors, thoughts, or emotions.Diaries can be used to record information about when events occur, such as activity, sleep, or pain.Self-monitoring can be accomplished using many different tools: Using a record allows clients to self-monitor: to discriminate the target (e.g., a feeling of anxiety), record it (e.g., when it occurred, how long it lasted, where they were and what they were doing), and review it (e.g., how often did it happen in a week, what was common across different episodes). Recording is the process of documenting occurrences, usually through some kind of written record. For example, instead of focusing on more difficult-to-capture thoughts and mental images, clients might be instructed to monitor more salient body sensations or behaviors (Kennerley, Kirk & Westbrook, 2017). Therapists can simplify the exercise by asking the client to record only whether the targets are present or absent, or by varying the questions they use to probe these thoughts and feelings. It may be the first time that they have brought attention and awareness to their symptoms, thoughts and emotions, and some clients express concern about ‘doing it right’. Routinely used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), it contributes to a wide variety of evidence-based treatments (Persons, 2008 Korotitsch & Nelson-Gray, 1999), and is comprised of two parts – discrimination and recording (Korotitsch & Nelson-Gray, 1999).ĭiscrimination consists of identifying and noticing the target phenomena. Self-monitoring functions as both an assessment method and an intervention (Korotitsch & Nelson-Gray, 1999 Proudfoot & Nicholas, 2010). Extended versions of each form, which allow additional data to be collected about the consequences of client behaviors, and which can be used to form hypotheses about reinforcing factors.Regular versions of each form which focus on collecting essential data about the target.Psychology Tools self-monitoring records have been carefully designed to focus on particular targets. ![]() Self-monitoring is usually introduced early in therapy, and provides an inexpensive and continuous measure of problem symptoms and behaviors throughout treatment. Self-monitoring supports collaboration between the therapist and client, and creates opportunities to formulate and test hypotheses about these difficulties. The aim is to improve clients’ awareness of their experiences and the contexts in which they occur, in order to help them gain insight into their symptoms and difficulties. Self-monitoring is a technique in which clients learn to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emotions, and behaviors. ![]()
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