Cognitive Restructuring & Exposure Lab

This simulator models the two core mechanisms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as one live feedback loop. A central "mind" sphere carries an anxiety level that rises whenever a stressor is present, amplified by the distortion of the automatic thought interpreting it — the same catastrophic thought makes a mild stressor feel unbearable. Toggling exposure on and staying with the discomfort (rather than escaping) slowly builds habituation, permanently lowering the intensity of future responses, exactly like a real graded-exposure desensitization curve. Clicking "Reframe thought" simulates completing a thought record: it directly cuts the distortion parameter and gives an immediate drop in measured anxiety, independent of habituation. Watch orbiting automatic-thought particles shift from distorted red-orange to rational blue as reframing takes effect.