Which of the following is a cognitive behavioral counseling technique included in the list?

• A. Social support
• B. Aerobic training
• C. Relaxation training
• D. Self-monitoring

Answer: (D)

Self-monitoring is a cognitive behavioral counseling technique used to help clients track their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors over time. By keeping a diary or log, clients become aware of patterns—such as how certain situations trigger negative thoughts or how specific behaviors maintain a problem. This heightened awareness is essential for CBT because it lays the groundwork for examining the links between thoughts, emotions, and actions and for testing new, more adaptive thoughts and responses. Through regular self-observation, clients can set concrete goals, measure progress, and see how changes in thinking lead to changes in behavior, which is the hallmark of this approach.

Social support, while valuable for motivation and emotional comfort, is more about interpersonal backing than a specific CBT technique. Aerobic training is a physical activity that can improve mood and overall health but isn’t, by itself, a cognitive-behavioral technique. Relaxation training can be used within CBT to reduce physiological arousal, but self-monitoring is the technique most directly tied to the CBT process of identifying and modifying thought–emotion–behavior patterns.