I am not claiming that thinking exclusively determines what we are feeling. That would be silly, which isn't so bad, but it would also be incorrect. There are a great many processes that contribute to what and how we are feeling, our thoughts are but one of those. So, why have I identified thinking as the "variable of choice" for modifying feelings?
First, what we are thinking happens to be one of the more powerful determinants of what we are feeling; changing thoughts can make big changes in feelings.
Second, it is often easier to voluntarily change what we are thinking than to change other relevant variables (such as body physiology).
And last but not least, we can alter thought patterns with a great deal more precision than we can change some other feeling-relevant variables. As a result, changing thoughts tends to be more ecologically sound... and safer for the client. Consider, for example, psychotropic drugs. Changing brain chemistry is a potent way to alter what we are feeling; unfortunately, it is a global intervention that affects the brain in many ways, often, with undesirable "side-effects".
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