Questionnaire for Assessing Blocking Beliefs (BBQ) , Jim Knipe, Ph.D.

Sometimes a client's locking elief !ill e right out there an" apparent to oth client
an" therapist, an" it can e useful to ask some #ersion of the $uestion, %&#en though
'ou elie#e that 'ou coul" ne#er get o#er this prolem, !oul" if e all right !ith 'ou if
'ou "i"(% )f the client sa's %'es%, then %sta' !ith that% an" &*.
But sometimes there is a locking elief hi""en from #ie!, an" so !ith clients !ho are
stuck for no apparent reason, ) ha#e foun" it useful to ask the person to fill out the
attache" $uestionnaire (!hich !as also printe" in the &*D+)A ne!sletter, ,inter,
-../). 0he client is aske" to gi#e a 123 to each statement. *an' clients !ill figure out
the lock 4ust in filling out the $uestionnaire.
2nce the locking elief has een i"entifie", there are man' options. Borro!ing from
the &*D+ set5up, the therapist can ask, %,hat !oul" 'ou prefer to think aout
'ourself, !ith regar" to this prolem(% 2r, if that is not a possiilit', the therapist can
%install%, !ith &*, a positi#e cognition that e6presses self5acceptance in spite of the
presence of the locking elief. Surprisingl', an" counter5intuiti#el', this sometimes
gets past the lock. 7or e6ample, a man !as !orking on a chil"hoo" inci"ent of
emotional "epri#ation ' his parents, an" !as locke" in resol#ing his anger ' the
elief (!hich !as a %8%) of %0his is a prolem that can onl' e resol#e" ' m' parents%
(i.e. making up for or apologi9ing for their neglect, !hich in his case !as not likel'). )
aske" him to sa' out lou", se#eral times, !ith &*, the follo!ing statement, % ) am
!illing to e lo'al to m'self, an" completel' accept m'self, e#en though this is a
prolem that can onl' e sol#e" ' m' parents.% 0he repetition of this statement, out
lou", t'picall' is necessar' for the self5acceptance i"ea to egin to %sink in.% :e then
!as ale to go ack to target an" !ith more sets of &*, get to 9ero "isturance on an
initiall' painful memor'. 0his proce"ure orro!s from the %re#ersal correction% of
thought fiel" therap', though !ithout the theoretical assumptions that are har" to
reconcile !ith the &*D+ information processing mo"el. )n the case of this man, anger
!as a "efense against more asic feelings of aan"onment an" shame, an" the installe"
positi#e cognition rought the shame issue into consciousness !here it coul" e
resol#e". 0he asic i"ea is to ask the client to repeat, !ith &*, %) accept (lo#e, am lo'al
to) m'self e#en though... ;blocking belief), an" then go ack to target to see if
unlocke" processing can resume.
Blocking Belief Questionnaire (Knipe)
Please gi#e a numer from - (feels completel' untrue) to < (feels completel' true) for
each statement.
====)'m emarrasse" that ) ha#e this prolem.
=====) !ill ne#er get o#er this prolem.
=====)'m not sure ) !ant to get o#er this prolem.
=====)f ) sol#e this prolem, ) !ill feel "epri#e".
=====) "on't ha#e the strength or the !ill po!er to sol#e this prolem.
=====)f ) reall' talk aout this prolem, something a" !ill happen.
=====0his is a prolem that can onl' e sol#e" ' someone else.
=====)f ) e#er sol#e this prolem, ) !ill lose a part of !ho ) reall' am.
=====) "on't !ant to think aout this prolem an' more.
=====) shoul" sol#e this prolem, ut ) "on't al!a's "o !hat ) shoul".
=====) like people !ho ha#e this prolem etter than people !ho "on't.
=====)t coul" e "angerous for me to get o#er this prolem.
=====,hen ) tr' to think aout this prolem, ) can't keep m' min" on it.
=====) sa' ) !ant to sol#e this prolem, ut ) ne#er "o.
=====)t coul" e a" for someone else for me to get o#er this prolem.
=====)f ) get o#er this prolem, ) can ne#er go ack to ha#ing it again.
=====) "on't "eser#e to get o#er this prolem.
=====0his prolem is igger than ) am.
=====)f ) got o#er this prolem, it !oul" go against m' #alues.
=====Someone in m' life hates this prolem.
=====0here are some goo" things aout ha#ing this prolem.
=====) "on't ha#e a prolem.
=====)'#e ha" this prolem so long, ) coul" ne#er completel' sol#e it.
=====) ha#e to !ait to sol#e this prolem.
=====)f ) sol#e this prolem, ) coul" lose a lot.
=====)f ) sol#e this prolem, it !ill e mainl' for someone else.