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Explore how common unusual experiences are in the general population — and how context, stress, and sleep deprivation can produce them in anyone.
Many experiences associated with psychosis (hearing voices, unusual beliefs, paranoia, perceptual disturbances) exist on a continuum and are surprisingly common in the general population, especially during stress, sleep deprivation, or bereavement. This worksheet helps normalise your experiences without dismissing them.
Use early in CBTp to reduce distress and self-stigma associated with unusual experiences. Normalising helps clients understand that psychotic experiences exist on a continuum and are more common in the general population than typically assumed.
Share research showing that many people in the general population report hearing voices, having unusual beliefs, or experiencing paranoid thoughts, particularly under stress or sleep deprivation. Frame this as context, not dismissal — their distress is real, and these experiences are more common than people think.
Tailor normalising information to the specific experiences the client reports. For voice-hearing, the continuum approach (from inner speech to intrusive thoughts to auditory hallucinations) is often helpful. For paranoia, discuss the adaptive function of threat detection.
Normalising should never feel invalidating. If the client perceives it as 'you're saying this isn't real' or 'you don't take me seriously,' clarify and adjust the approach. Do not normalise in a way that discourages the client from seeking appropriate treatment.
Use specific statistics and examples rather than vague reassurance. The Hearing Voices Network literature and continuum models (Peters et al., Johns & van Os) provide good evidence to draw on. Normalising is most effective when combined with validation of the distress the experiences cause.
Suitable for clients working with psychosis, cbtp, normalising, voices, continuum, unusual experiences. This tool can be used as a standalone worksheet or as part of a structured homework plan.
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Systematically evaluate and build on existing coping strategies for managing distressing psychotic experiences.
A maintenance-focused formulation for psychosis — mapping triggers, experiences, appraisals, emotions, and coping responses.
Examine beliefs about the power of voices — challenging omniscience, omnipotence, and the need to comply.