The Self-Criticism – Self-Monitoring Record is a structured tool designed to collect information about how clients experience self-criticism.
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.
Developing self-monitoring skills teaches clients to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, body feelings, emotions, and behaviors. Though it’s usually introduced early in the therapy process, it can continue to provide an inexpensive and constant measure of problem symptoms and behaviors throughout treatment. The Self-Criticism – Self-Monitoring Record worksheet is designed to help clients capture information about situations where they engaged in self-critical thinking.
Self-critical thoughts that contribute to low mood.
Harsh self-judgments that undermine self-worth.
Self-critical thoughts about performance.
Self-criticisms related to eating, shape, or weight.
Other difficulties where self-criticism is a feature, such as social anxiety and stress.
Explain the benefits and rationale for self-monitoring.
Agree targets for self-monitoring.
Provide instructions for completing the record and rehearse with the client.
Review the client's completed self-monitoring record.
Modify self-monitoring based on progress, shifting focus as needed.
Self-monitoring is a technique where clients systematically observe and record their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors to enhance awareness and gain insight into their challenges. It is commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and involves two main components: discrimination (recognizing target phenomena) and recording (documenting occurrences).
Self-monitoring can be faciliating using various tools such as diaries, logs, and records, aimed at helping clients engage in their treatment by fostering self-control and autonomy. Data collected can inform case formulation and intervention planning, as it assists in identifying prevalent problems, unhelpful thinking patterns, triggers, and coping behaviors. Typically, self-monitoring is introduced early in therapy, particularly for covert phenomena like rumination or self-criticism. Clients may begin with simple tasks and advance to more detailed records exploring the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Psychology Tools self-monitoring records have been carefully designed to focus on particular targets. Typically, each form has a standard version that collects essential data about the target behavior, as well as an extended version that gathers additional information on the consequences of client behaviors. This extra data can help form hypotheses about reinforcing factors.
The Self-Criticism – Self-Monitoring Record is designed to help clients capture information about situations where they engaged in self-critical thinking. It includes columns to record information about: situational context; self-critical thoughts and images; emotional and physiological reactions; and coping responses. An additional ‘extended’ version of the form includes a column for recording the consequences of these coping responses, which may help therapists to generate hypotheses about how the client’s existing coping strategies contribute to the maintenance of their self-criticism.
