CBT Thought Record — Template
Use this when triggered — right after a moment of strong negative emotion, not at day’s end when detail has faded. This follows the standard CBT 7-column thought record. It’s slower than the Daily Review on purpose: the goal is to catch and re-examine a specific distorted thought, not to summarize the day.
- Date/Time: [FILL]
- Situation trigger (one line): [FILL]
1. Situation
Who, what, when, where — facts only, no interpretation.
[FILL]
2. Automatic Thought(s)
What went through my mind right before I felt this way? Write the exact words/images, not a summary.
- [FILL]
3. Emotion(s) and Intensity
| Emotion (one word) | Intensity (0-100%) |
|---|---|
| [FILL] | [FILL] |
| [FILL] | [FILL] |
4. Cognitive Distortion Check
Check any that apply to the automatic thought above — most distorted thoughts involve more than one.
- All-or-nothing thinking — seeing things in black-and-white categories
- Overgeneralization — one bad event means it always happens
- Mental filter — dwelling on a single negative detail, ignoring the positives
- Disqualifying the positive — positive experiences “don’t count”
- Jumping to conclusions — mind reading — assuming what others think without evidence
- Jumping to conclusions — fortune telling — predicting things will turn out badly
- Magnification / catastrophizing — blowing things out of proportion
- Emotional reasoning — “I feel it, so it must be true”
- Should statements — criticizing self/others with “should,” “must,” “ought to”
- Labeling — attaching a global negative label instead of describing the specific behavior
- Personalization — blaming self for something not entirely in my control
5. Evidence For and Against
| Evidence FOR the automatic thought | Evidence AGAINST the automatic thought |
|---|---|
| [FILL] | [FILL] |
| [FILL] | [FILL] |
6. Balanced / Alternative Thought
Given the evidence on both sides, what’s a more accurate and balanced way to see this?
[FILL]
7. Outcome — Re-rate Emotion
| Emotion | Intensity before (%) | Intensity after (%) |
|---|---|---|
| [FILL] | [FILL] | [FILL] |
What will I do differently next time this trigger shows up? [FILL]
Reference: Standard 7-column thought record (situation → automatic thought → emotion → distortion → evidence → balanced thought → outcome), per Beck’s cognitive therapy model and Burns’ distortion taxonomy (Feeling Good).
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Linked from 4 notes
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