Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): As told through Inside Out 2 and Winnie the Pooh

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach, aimed at challenging negative thinking patterns and behaviours to help prevent our emotions from misfiring. Many children’s stories illustrate the concept of CBT well, from the original Winnie the Pooh book to the far more recent film, Inside Out 2.

Inside out 2: Managing Emotional Complexity

In Inside Out 2, Riley navigates the emotional rollercoaster of growing up with the help of her core emotions—Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust.

Sadness and the “fixed rule” statements

Sadness often dominates Riley’s thoughts when things go wrong, through using fixed rule thinking: the shoulds, musts and can’ts. For example, when she moves to a new area, Riley feels isolated from her friends, believing that her parents “should” never have moved and that she “can’t” make new friends.

Sadness could benefit from evaluating her thoughts for accuracy. Whilst she thinks, “I’ve lost all my friends now and I’ll never make any friends ever again,”  she could ask for evidence: “Is this true?” “Have I made new friends before – and can I keep in touch with my old friends?” This process would help Sadness see that she can make new friends and that she can also stay in touch with her old friends.

Fear and catastrophic thinking

Fear, while useful for protecting Riley, tends to exaggerate the dangers of everyday situations. This leads to an overestimation of threat, where Fear assumes that ordinary events - like a class presentation - could end in disaster.

Here, Fear could use reality testing, a CBT technique where imagined threats are compared with reality. So, when Fear anticipates that Riley will be humiliated during a presentation and that her classmates will laugh at her, he could examine past experiences and ask, “Do my classmates often laugh at me? Would I laugh at others?” This would help Fear realise that his worries are unlikely, reducing Riley’s anxiety.

Anger and extreme thinking

Anger often emerges when things don’t go according to plan. In the film, he exhibits black-and-white thinking—seeing situations as entirely good or entirely bad. When faced with frustration, Anger assumes that the situation is a complete disaster, leading to outbursts.

Anger could use cognitive flexibility, a CBT technique that encourages a more nuanced perspective. Instead of reacting to frustration with an extreme response, Anger could practice seeing the grey areas. For example, when Riley loses a hockey game, the team are not “completely awful” - they’ve won games before, and they will again.

Winnie the Pooh: Challenging Cognitive Distortions in the Hundred Acre Wood

In Winnie the Pooh, each character similarly represents unique emotions. Their personalities again illustrate the negative thoughts that many people struggle with, and the ways in which CBT techniques could help them develop healthier thinking patterns.

Eeyore and depression

Eeyore, the gloomy donkey, often engages in filtering, focusing only on the negative aspects of life and ignoring the positives. He expects things to go wrong and frequently feels that no good can come from any situation.

Eeyore could use a positive data log, a CBT exercise where he keeps track of positive moments and outcomes. Instead of fixating on what goes wrong, Eeyore could write down times when things worked out and when his friends supported him. Over time, this practice would help shift his focus away from constant negativity and help him recognise that positive experiences do occur in his life.

Tigger and ADHD

Tigger’s boundless energy and enthusiasm often lead to impulsive behaviour, as he jumps into situations without thinking. This reflects disinhibition, a lack of impulse control, which can cause trouble for him and his friends.

To manage his impulsivity, Tigger could practice Stop and Think, a CBT technique that encourages pausing before acting. Before bouncing into a new adventure, Tigger could ask himself, “What might happen if I do this? Is this a good idea?” This moment of reflection would allow Tigger to make more thoughtful decisions and avoid unnecessary chaos, improving his ability to think things through before acting.

Rabbit and perfectionism

Rabbit, with his need for order and control, often struggles with perfectionism. When things don’t go according to plan, Rabbit becomes frustrated, convinced that everything must be perfect or he won’t cope.

Rabbit could use CBT techniques like acceptance and cognitive flexibility to better manage his need for control. By challenging his perfectionistic thoughts, Rabbit could remind himself that not everything has to be perfect, reducing his frustration and helping him approach challenges with a more flexible mindset, allowing him to enjoy life’s surprises rather than resist them.

Piglet and Worry

Piglet constantly worries about potential dangers and worst-case scenarios. His anxiety often leads him to anticipate the worst, catastrophising and assuming worst case scenarios.

Piglet could benefit from exposure therapy combined with reality testing, both of which are commonly used in CBT to manage anxiety. Exposure therapy involves gradually facing the feared situations in a safe and controlled way, helping Piglet see that his fears are not as overwhelming as they seem. By repeatedly facing small fears and evaluating the actual outcomes, Piglet would gradually learn that most of his worries don’t come true, helping him build confidence and reduce his overall anxiety.

Conclusion

Both Inside Out 2 and Winnie the Pooh provide brilliant examples of how we experience a range of emotions, based on negative thought patterns. From Sadness’s “fixed” rule statements and Eeyore’s focus on the negative, to Fear and Piglet’s catastrophic thinking, these characters illustrate real-life challenges that many people face.

CBT techniques - thought challenging for Sadness and Eeyore, reality testing for Fear and Piglet - are just a few examples of CBT in action. These strategies offer insight into how CBT can be applied to manage fear, sadness, anger and impulsivity, amongst others. Whether it’s Piglet facing his fears or Eeyore shifting his focus to positive experiences, these characters demonstrate the transformative power of CBT in helping emotional balance and well-being.