Thought Records
The cognitive model assumes that cognitions (thoughts and images) are responsible for emotions. Cognitions are automatic, habitual, and believable. Unfortunately, they are also prone to bias: misappraisals of events and situations underpin many common problems, including anxiety and depression. Thought records are tools used by cognitive behavioral therapists to help their patients capture, evaluate, and restructure their negative automatic thoughts. Recording and evaluating thoughts allows us to test the accuracy of our thinking, and oftentimes feel better by identifying and correcting bias or inaccuracies. One objective when using thought records in CBT is to encourage more balanced thinking. Thought records vary considerably and include: simple forms that assist patients to capture their negative automatic thoughts; thought challenging records that guide patients through the process of disputing their negative cognitions; and disorder-specific forms that encourage the capture of specific types of cognitive content. Psychology Tools has created a variety of thought records to suit the needs of a broad range of cognitive therapists.
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Anger - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/anger-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Anger Thought Challenging Record
Disputing thoughts is a critical skill in cognitive therapy. The Anger Thought Challenging Record helps clients to identify and challenge their angry ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/anger-thought-challenging-record
Worksheets
Anxiety - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/anxiety-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Attention - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/attention-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Belief-O-Meter (CYP)
The Belief-O-Meter is an engaging way of helping children and adolescents to relate to their thoughts differently. It is a form of cognitive restructu ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/belief-o-meter-cyp
Worksheets
Boundaries - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/boundaries-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
CBT Thought Record Portrait
The CBT Thought Record is an essential tool in cognitive behavioral therapy. Thought challenging records help people to evaluate their negative automa ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/cbt-thought-record-portrait
Worksheets
Challenging Your Negative Thinking (Archived)
NOTE: An improved version of this resource is available here: Evaluating Unhelpful Automatic Thoughts. Older versions of a resource may be archived in ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/challenging-your-negative-thinking
Archived
Compassionate 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 Compassi ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/compassionate-thought-challenging-record
Worksheets
Court Trial Thought Challenging Record (Archived)
NOTE: An improved version of this resource is available here: Thought Record - Courtroom Trial. Older versions of a resource may be archived in the ev ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/court-trial-thought-challenging-record
Archived
Decatastrophizing
Catastrophic thinking (magnification) is characteristic of many anxiety problems. This CBT worksheet for decatastrophizing is a tool for cognitive res ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/decatastrophizing
Exercises
Depression - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/depression-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Dissociation - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/dissociation-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
Evaluating Unhelpful Automatic Thoughts
The Evaluating Unhelpful Automatic Thoughts guide is written for clients who struggle with negative automatic thoughts. It provides a comprehensive in ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/evaluating-unhelpful-automatic-thoughts
Guides
Flashbacks - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/flashbacks-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Health Anxiety - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/health-anxiety-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
Hotspot Record
Enhanced 'reliving' in trauma-focused CBT for PTSD involves addressing the meaning associated with 'hot spots' of traumatic memory. This Hotspot Recor ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/hotspot-record
Worksheets
Identifying The Meaning Of Body Sensations
Some anxiety disorders (including panic and health anxiety), are concerned with body sensations and symptoms. The Identifying The Meaning Of Body Sens ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/identifying-the-meaning-of-body-sensations
Worksheets
Intrusion Record
What differentiates intrusive congitions in OCD is the meaning that clients with OCD attach to them. The Intrusion Record is a CBT worksheet for captu ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/intrusion-record
Worksheets
Meaning In Tinnitus
The psychological approach to tinnitus proposes that it is the meaning attached to perceptions which gives rise to distress - this is similar to the a ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/meaning-in-tinnitus
Exercises
Negative Thoughts - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/negative-thoughts-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
OCD Diary
Self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings and symptoms is an essential skill for clients engaged in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Clients will find ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/ocd-diary
Worksheets
Panic - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/panic-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Panic Attack Record Form
Self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings and symptoms is an essential skill for clients engaged in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The Panic Attack R ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/panic-attack-record-form
Worksheets
Panic Diary
The Panic Diary is a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) diary for panic symptoms. Clients can record panic attack frequency along with information abo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/panic-diary
Worksheets
Perfectionism Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/perfectionism-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Perspective-Taking
Cognitive restructuring techniques in CBT teach clients ways of analyzing situations in ways that might initially be unfamiliar. A simple way of intro ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/perspective-taking
Worksheets
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
Exercises
Rumination - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/rumination-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Rumination Diary (Archived)
NOTE: An improved version of this resource is available here: Rumination – Self-Monitoring Record. Older versions of a resource may be archived ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/rumination-diary-archived
Archived
Self Critical Thought Challenging Record
Disputing thoughts is a critical skill in cognitive therapy. The Self-Critical Thought Challenging Record helps clients to identify and challenge thei ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/self-critical-thought-challenging-record
Worksheets
Self-Criticism - Self-Monitoring Record
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/self-criticism-self-monitoring-record
Worksheets
Self-Monitoring Record (Universal)
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emo ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/self-monitoring-record-universal
Worksheets
Simple Thought Challenging Record
Disputing thoughts is a critical skill in cognitive therapy. The Simple Thought Challenging Record encourages clients to identify alternative perspect ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/simple-thought-challenging-record
Worksheets
Simple Thought Record
Self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings, and symptoms is an essential skill in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This Simple Thought Record is an exce ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/simple-thought-record
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
Thought Record – Courtroom Trial
Thought records are commonly used in CBT to help people to evaluate their negative automatic thoughts for accuracy and bias. The Thought Record – Co ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/thought-record-courtroom-trial
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
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
Worksheets
Thoughts In CBT (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/thoughts-in-cbt-psychology-tools-for-living-well
Books & Chapters
Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Human thinking is subject to a number of characteristic biases. In the 1960s, Aaron Beck identified several of these biases which were common in his d ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/unhelpful-thinking-styles
Information handouts
Worry Thought Record
Anxiety stems from negative predictions about the future (and also from assumptions that one will not be able to cope with the magnitude of the threat ...
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/worry-thought-record
Worksheets
What Are CBT Thought Records?
Types of CBT Thought Records
- Self-monitoring records are used to gather information about thoughts in the context of a situation, emotions elicited, and coping responses (behaviors). Self-monitoring records enable a clinician to gather information relevant for a cross-sectional formulation.
- Thought-monitoring records are used to identify negative automatic thoughts, notice associations between events and cognitions, and to help patients understand the links between thoughts, emotions, and body sensations.
- Thought-challenging records are used to help patients dispute their negative thinking. For example, the common 7-column thought challenging format encourages patients to evaluate the evidence for and against a particular thought. The thought distortion record helps patients to identify common biases in their thinking.
- Disorder-specific thought records are used to gather information relevant to a particular condition. For example, patients prone to worry might be encouraged to focus on the automatic predictions they make, and clients with health anxiety might be encouraged to focus on negative thoughts relating to their health.
References
- Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.