The "heart" of this approach is the mechanism hypothesis—a specific theory about why this particular patient is struggling.
Recent events or triggers that activated the psychological mechanisms and led to the current episode of distress.
The underlying causes that maintain the problems, such as core beliefs (schemas), cognitive distortions, or maladaptive behaviors.
The historical life experiences, typically from childhood, that predisposed the individual to develop their specific psychological mechanisms. 2. Formulate the "Mechanism Hypothesis"
