Mechanisms
Avoidance, Cognitive bias, Conditioning, Perfectionism, Repetitive thought, Safety behaviors, Schema maintenance
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Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Depersonalization (Hunter, Phillips, Chalder, Sierra, David, 2003)
Depersonalization is an experience where an individual feels a sense of detachment from themselves, or estrangement from their perceptions, actions, a ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-depersonalization-hunter-phillips-chalder-sierra-david-2003/
Information Handout
A Guide To Emotions (Psychology Tools For Living Well)
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help your clients to live happier and more fulfilling lives. Psychology Tools for Living Well is a self-help course ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/a-guide-to-emotions-psychology-tools-for-living-well/
Chapter
Activity Diary (Hourly Time Intervals)
Activity diaries can be used for activity monitoring during an assessment phase of therapy, symptom monitoring during therapy, correlating activity wi ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/activity-diary-hourly-time-intervals/
Worksheet
Activity Diary (No Time Intervals)
Activity diaries can be used for activity monitoring during an assessment phase of therapy, symptom monitoring during therapy, correlating activity wi ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/activity-diary-no-time-intervals/
Worksheet
Anger Thought Challenging Record
Disputing thoughts is a critical skill in cognitive therapy. The Anger Thought Monitoring Record helps clients to identify and challenge their angry t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/anger-thought-challenging-record/
Worksheet
Approach Instead Of Avoiding (Psychology Tools For Overcoming Panic)
Psychology Tools for Overcoming Panic takes a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to this common anxiety problem. This chapter discusses avoi ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/approach-instead-of-avoiding-psychology-tools-for-overcoming-panic/
Chapter
Assertive Communication
Communicating and acting assertively is an interpersonal skill that helps people to maintain healthy relationships, resolve interpersonal conflict, an ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/assertive-communication/
Information Handout
Avoidance Hierarchy
Avoidance and safety-seeking behavior serves to maintain anxiety, and exposure to the fear stimuli/situation is an effective treatment for anxiety. Th ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/avoidance-hierarchy/
Exercise
Behavioral Activation Activity Diary
Behavioral activation (BA) is an effective treatment for depression. Different behavioral activation protocols include a variety of treatment componen ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/behavioral-activation-activity-diary/
Worksheet
Behavioral Experiment
Behavioral experiments are planned experiential activities to test the validity of a belief. They are one of the most powerful techniques available to ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/behavioral-experiment/
Worksheet
Behavioral Experiment (Portrait Format)
Behavioral experiments allow individuals to test the validity of their beliefs and assumptions. They are a core experiential technique for therapeutic ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/behavioral-experiment-portrait-format/
Worksheet
Belief Driven Formulation
Cognitive behavioral theory proposes that our thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the here-and-now are influenced by our schemas / core beliefs / assu ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/belief-driven-formulation/
Worksheet
Catching Your Thoughts (CYP)
Before thoughts can be examined or challenged they must be ‘caught’ – they must be noticed and distinguished from events and feelings. The Catch ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/catching-your-thoughts-cyp/
Worksheet
CBT Appraisal Model
The CBT Appraisal Model worksheet is a transdiagnostic formulation tool. The centrality of appraisals underpins all of the disorder-specific cognitive ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cbt-appraisal-model/
Worksheet
Challenging Your Negative Thinking
A cornerstone of cognitive behavioral therapy is that an individual’s interpretation of an event determines how they feel and behave. We all experie ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/challenging-your-negative-thinking/
Guide
Checking Certainty And Doubt
Psychologists have discovered interesting relationships between Checking, Certainty, And Doubt. This information handout contains an exercise helpful ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/checking-certainty-and-doubt/
Information Handout
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning is a process by which stimuli become associated with responses. This information handout describes key principles of Classical ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/classical-conditioning/
Information Handout
Coercive Methods For Enforcing Compliance
Individuals who have experienced abuse often focus on their own actions (or inactions) and blame themselves for their own abuse. This client informati ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/coercive-methods-for-enforcing-compliance/
Exercise
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Anorexia Nervosa (Fairburn, Cooper, Shafran, 2003)
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by restriction of energy intake and intense fear of gaining weight. For women, the lifetime preva ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-anorexia-nervosa-fairburn-cooper-shafran-2003/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD: Veale, 2004)
Individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) experience distress associated with their body image. The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Body Dysmorphi ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd-veale-2004/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Bulimia Nervosa (Fairburn, Cooper, Shafran, 2003)
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging. Among young women, the point prevalence of bulimia is about 1 ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-bulimia-nervosa-fairburn-cooper-shafran-2003/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Fear Of Body Sensations
Fear of bodily sensations is present in a number of conditions, most notably panic disorder. The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Fear Of Bodily Sensatio ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-fear-of-body-sensations/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD: Dugas, Gagnon, Ladouceur, Freeston, 1998)
Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) report significant worry which they find difficult to control and experience as distressing. Numer ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad-dugas-gagnon-ladouceur-freeston-1998/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Health Anxiety (Salkovskis, Warwick, Deale, 2003)
Health anxiety is characterized by a preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, and a high level of anxiety about health. People with h ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-health-anxiety-salkovskis-warwick-deale-2003/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty (Hebert, Dugas, 2019)
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been defined as “an underlying fear of the unknown”. Intolerance of uncertainty is a risk factor for the deve ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-intolerance-of-uncertainty-hebert-dugas-2019/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Low Self-Esteem (Fennell, 1997)
Low self-esteem is characterized as a negative sense of the self and co-occurs with many other mental health problems. Although not formally represent ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-low-self-esteem-fennell-1997/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD: Salkovskis, Forrester, Richards, 1998)
The essential insight of the cognitive behavioral model of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is that it is the client’s interpretation of the intr ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-salkovskis-forrester-richards-1998/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Panic (Clark, 1986)
The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Panic identifies catastrophic misinterpretation of body sensations as a criticial maintenance factor which serves to ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-panic-clark-1986/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD: Whalley, Cane, 2017)
Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a form of dizziness which is thought to be maintained by psychological factors.
...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-persistent-postural-perceptual-dizziness-pppd-whalley-cane-2017/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Social Phobia (Clark, Wells, 1995)
People suffering from social anxiety disorder (previously known as social phobia) experience persistent fear or anxiety concerning social or performan ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-social-phobia-clark-wells-1995/
Information Handout
Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Tinnitus (McKenna, Handscombe, Hoare, Hall, 2014)
The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Tinnitus identifies cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual changes which operate to maintain tinnitus perception and ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cognitive-behavioral-model-of-tinnitus-mckenna-handscombe-hoare-hall-2014/
Information Handout
Core Belief Magnet Metaphor
Core beliefs (schemas) are self-sustaining. They act to ‘attract’ confirmatory evidence and ‘repel’ (or distort) disconfirmato ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/core-belief-magnet-metaphor/
Information Handout
Court Trial Thought Challenging Record
Thought challenging records are commonly used in CBT to help people to evaluate their negative automatic thoughts for accuracy and bias. This Court Tr ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/court-trial-thought-challenging-record/
Worksheet
Dysfunctional Thought Record
The Dysfunctional Thought Record is a worksheet to record and challenge dysfunctional thoughts. It encourages clients to identify the involvement of a ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/dysfunctional-thought-record/
Worksheet
Embracing Uncertainty
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) was first described in individuals suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Many behaviors associated with G ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/embracing-uncertainty/
Exercise
Emotions Motivate Actions
Many clients find it helpful to recognize the range of actions that are motivated by different emotional states. This worksheet encourages clients to ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/emotions-motivate-actions/
Information Handout
Exposure And Response Prevention
Exposure And Response Prevention (ERP, EX/RP) is an effective treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This CBT worksheet guides therapists ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/exposure-and-response-prevention/
Exercise
Exposure Practice Form
Exposure is an effective treatment for many forms of anxiety. The Exposure Practice Form is a CBT worksheet which guides therapists and clients throug ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/exposure-practice-form/
Exercise
Fact Or Opinion
One cognitive error which commonly results in distress is to act on our opinions as though they were facts. This CBT exercise helps clients to practic ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fact-or-opinion/
Exercise
Fight or Flight (CYP)
The Fight Or Flight (CYP) information handout has been specifically designed for younger children and includes carefully simplified language. The full ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-cyp/
Information Handout
Habituation
The Habituation information sheets are designed to help clinicians to explain the concept of habituation and its role in exposure therapy. The handout ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/habituation/
Information Handout
Health Anxiety Formulation
Health anxiety is characterized by a preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness, and a high level of anxiety about health. People with h ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/health-anxiety-formulation/
Information Handout
Health Anxiety Thought Record
Individuals with health anxiety experience clinically significant distress associated with health concerns. This thought-challenging record enables cl ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/health-anxiety-thought-record/
Worksheet
Hindsight Bias
Survivors of loss or trauma often think “If only …”. Hindsight Bias is a cognitive bias / cognitive illusion which makes events seem mor ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/hindsight-bias/
Information Handout
How Trauma Can Affect You (CYP)
Trauma can result in a wide variety of symptoms, experiences, and behaviors. As well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prevalence rates of oth ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/how-trauma-can-affect-you-cyp/
Information Handout
Interoceptive Exposure
Misappraisals of body sensations trigger emotional and physiological reactions of fear and heightened arousal. These feelings motivate behavioral resp ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/interoceptive-exposure/
Exercise
Interpersonal Beliefs And Styles
Interpersonal issues and relationship problems form an important part of what clients bring to therapy: they might present as clients’ current conce ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/interpersonal-beliefs-and-styles/
Worksheet
Intolerance Of Uncertainty
Uncertainty is a normal part of life – we can never be 100% sure about what will happen next. Many people feel good about uncertainty and live lives ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/intolerance-of-uncertainty/
Information Handout
Intrusive Memory Record
Intrusive (unwanted, involuntary) memories are a common feature of PTSD, but also depression and other conditions. This Intrusive Memory Record is des ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/intrusive-memory-record/
Worksheet
Intrusive Thoughts Images And Impulses
Intrusive Thoughts, Images, And Impulses that are experienced as distressing are a feature of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). They are also a com ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/intrusive-thoughts-images-and-impulses/
Exercise
Living With Worry And Anxiety Amidst Global Uncertainty
This free guide was published in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is designed for anyone who is experiencing anxiety or worry.
...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/living-with-worry-and-anxiety-amidst-global-uncertainty/
Free Guide
Low Self-Esteem Formulation
Fennell’s cognitive behavioral model of low self-esteem proposes that negative beliefs about the self are maintained by biased information processin ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/low-self-esteem-formulation/
Worksheet
Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Exposure Therapy
Despite its position as the leading treatment technique for anxiety disorders, not all clients respond to exposure therapy and some individuals relaps ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/maximizing-the-effectiveness-of-exposure-therapy/
Information Handout
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Formulation
An important treatment implication of the cognitive behavioral model of OCD is that clinicians can work at the level of the meaning of the intrusion. ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd-formulation/
Worksheet
OCD Hierarchy
Part of traditional CBT treatment for OCD is exposure to situations which trigger obsessions (classically accompanied by the prevention of the associa ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/ocd-hierarchy/
Exercise
Operant Conditioning
Operant conitioning / instrumental learning is a mechanism by which behaviors can be strengthened or weakened over time. This information handout desc ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/operant-conditioning/
Information Handout
Pacing For Pain And Fatigue
Pacing is an evidence-based approach to increasing activity and fitness, and in reducing overall pain and fatigue. It is designed to prevent ‘bo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/pacing-for-pain-and-fatigue/
Exercise
Panic Formulation
The aim of a formulation is to help the client and therapist to come to a shared understanding of what a client is experiencing. The Panic Formulation ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/panic-formulation/
Worksheet
Positive Belief Record
Some cognitive change can happen quickly – for example challenging negative automatic thoughts. Other cognitive structures such as schemas are m ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/positive-belief-record/
Worksheet
Problem Solving (CYP)
Effective problem solving is an essential life skill and this Problem Solving worksheet is designed to guide children and adolescents through steps wh ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/problem-solving-cyp/
Exercise
Process Focused Case Formulation
The Process-Focused Case Formulation encourages clinicians to make hypotheses regarding mechanisms or processes which they believe may be maintainin ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/process-focused-case-formulation/
Worksheet
Prompts For Challenging Negative Thinking
The CBT model proposes that how we think affects the way we feel. Challenging our unhelpful thoughts (cognitive restructuring) is an essential skill w ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/prompts-for-challenging-negative-thinking/
Exercise
Properties Of Trauma Memories
Important properties of trauma memories include involuntary recall, ‘nowness’, vividness, and immutability. People who have experienced t ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/properties-of-trauma-memories/
Information Handout
PTSD Formulation
This PTSD Formulation is designed for use in trauma-focused cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD): an empirically supported treatment for Post-Traumati ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/ptsd-formulation/
Worksheet
Reciprocal CBT Formulation
CBT therapists often describe finding it difficult to apply CBT skills when clients bring relational problems to therapy. Familiar methods of visua ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/reciprocal-cbt-formulation/
Worksheet
Recognizing Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is characterized the restriction of energy intake, leading to a severely low weight in the context of an individual’s age, sex, and ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/recognizing-anorexia-nervosa/
Information Handout
Recognizing Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain. Recognizing Bulimia Nervosa ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/recognizing-bulimia-nervosa/
Information Handout
Recognizing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by an extended period of excessive worry. The DSM also emphasizes the importance of the client’s ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/recognizing-generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/
Information Handout
Rumination Diary
Self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings, and symptoms is an essential skill in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The Rumination Diary helps clients to ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/rumination-diary/
Worksheet
Rumination Self-Monitoring Record
Rumination-Focused CBT (RF-CBT) takes a functional-analytic approach to rumination and aims to help depressed clients to identify the contexts in whic ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/rumination-self-monitoring-record/
Worksheet
Safety Behaviors
Safety behaviors are actions carried out with the intention of preventing a feared catastrophe. In the short-term they often give a sense of relief, b ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/safety-behaviors/
Information Handout
Safety Behaviors Example
Safety behaviors are actions carried out with the intention of preventing a feared catastrophe. In the short-term they often give a sense of relief, b ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/safety-behaviors-example/
Information Handout
Schema Bias
Core beliefs (schemas) are self-sustaining. They act to ‘attract’ confirmatory evidence and ‘repel’ or ‘distort’ d ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/schema-bias/
Information Handout
Schema Formulation
Beck’s cognitive model proposes that cognition and perception in the here-and-now is influenced by our ‘schemas’ which shape our per ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/schema-formulation/
Worksheet
Schema Metaphors
Core beliefs (schemas) are self-sustaining. They act to ‘attract’ confirmatory evidence and ‘repel’ or ‘distort’ d ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/schema-metaphors/
Information Handout
Social Anxiety Formulation
People suffering from social anxiety disorder (previously known as social phobia) experience persistent fear or anxiety concerning social or performan ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/social-anxiety-formulation/
Worksheet
Stimulus Discrimination (Audio)
Stimulus Discrimination is designed to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to ‘retrain their brain’ in order to attend automat ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/stimulus-discrimination-audio/
Audio
Thought Distortion Monitoring Record
Thinking is often biased in particular ways and individuals often have their own characteristic patterns of bias. The Thought Distortion Monitoring Re ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/thought-distortion-monitoring-record/
Worksheet
Thought Record (Considered Response)
Thought records exist in multiple variants, depending on the needs and abilities of the client. This Thought Record (Considered Response) is a cogniti ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/thought-record-considered-response/
Worksheet
Thought Record (Evidence For And Against)
CBT Thought Records exist in multiple variants, depending on the needs and abilities of the client. This Thought Record (Evidence For And Against) is ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/thought-record-evidence-for-and-against/
Worksheet