Decatastrophizing or decatastrophization is a technique used in cognitive therapy to treat cognitive distortions, such as magnification and catastrophizing, commonly seen in psychological disorders like anxiety and psychosis. The technique consists of confronting the worst-case scenario of a feared event or object using mental imagery to examine where the effects of the feared event or object have been overestimated (magnified or exaggerated) and where the person's coping skills have been underestimated. The term was originally coined by Albert Ellis although various versions of the technique have been developed, most notably by Aaron T. Beck.