The Anxiety - Self-Monitoring Record helps clients capture information about situations where they experienced feelings of fear or anxiety.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
An editable Microsoft Word version of the resource.
Self-monitoring allows clients to systematically observe and record specific targets related to their anxiety, such as their key thoughts, body feelings, behaviors, and situational triggers. Self-monitoring is an integral part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), increasing self-awareness, facilitating targeted interventions, and informing case conceptualization and intervention.
Self-monitoring is a key component of CBT, supporting both assessment and intervention. It enhances client engagement, supports hypothesis testing, and helps establish a collaborative framework for treatment.
Captures data on anxiety triggers and worrying thoughts.
Provides information about situations, physical sensations, catastrophic thoughts, and safety behaviours that play a role in panic.
Useful for clients experiencing other difficulties where anxiety can be feature, such as insomnia and eating disorders.
Select a specific area or symptom for the client to monitor (e.g., anxious thoughts when away from home).
Teach clients to document key aspects of anxiety, including associated thoughts and sensations.
Review record to formulate, identify patterns, and plan interventions.
Use ongoing self-monitoring to track progress and refine strategies.
Self-monitoring is central to CBT. Key components of self-monitoring include discrimination (identifying target phenomena) and recording (documenting these occurrences). Effective implementation involves choosing a clearly defined target, practicing in-session, and regular review (Persons, 2008).
By incorporating self-monitoring, therapists enable clients to better understand key aspects of their anxiety, identify unhelpful patterns, evaluate coping strategies, and develop ideas about how it can be addressed.
