David D. Burns identifies ways thinking negative or unhealthy thoughts arise (which he calls "twisted" or "distorted" thinking) and ways to break down and reflect on these thoughts to come to healthy conclusions. His methods are empathetic yet precise and practical; they were designed to be done as journal prompts or assignments (as Kelsi Yu has before).
At the very minimum, this can help the way we frame negative thoughts and sad emotions to storytellers. We could even incorporate these prompts as journal entries or conversations with NPCs.