Free Downloadable Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Worksheets, Formulations, and Self-Help Resources

The following worksheets are freely available to use as you wish. PsychologyTools worksheets are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license. This means you are free to download, use, copy, and distribute them. All I ask is that you (a) try to let people know where you got them from, and (b) don't sell them.

 

Blank Formulations

Click to download

Case Formulation
Case formulation diagram adapted from Jacqueline Persons' approach

Click to download

Compassionate Mind Formulation
Formulation to encourage thinking from a compassionate perspective. Includes worked example

Cross Sectional CBT Formulation 

Cross Sectional CBT Formulation
Cross-sectional 'Hot Cross Bun' cognitive behavioural formulation

Click to download 

Friendly Formulation
Simple 5 p's case formulation presented as a question: "How did 'the problem' develop?"

Click to download file

Formulation
A blank Judith Beck style case formulation diagram

Click to download

Longitudinal Formulation
Longitudinal CBT case formulation (5 p's) with cross-sectional component (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, physical sensations)

 


 

Thought Records / Cognitive Restructuring

Click to download file 

CBT Thought Record
Record the situation, emotion and thought, then examine the evidence for and against the thought

Thought Record 

Simple Thought Record
Simple illustrated three-column thought record

Click to download

Dysfunctional Thought Record
An REBT tool. Similar to CBT thought record, but specify the cognitive distortion instead of judging evidence for and against the thought

 Click to download

Health Anxiety Thought Record
Thought record specific to health anxiety concerns

Click to download

Theory A / Theory B
Hypothesis A / Hypothesis B
Dual Model Strategy
A method for reframing a problem as a result of belief or worry, rather than as a result of a situation/fact. Includes 2 different versions of the worksheet, and two worked examples illustrating how to use it

Click to download

Pie Charts
Includes descriptions of how pie charts can be used to modify beliefs around inflated responsibility, and for maladaptive beliefs in health anxiety

        

 

Diaries / Activity Diaries

Click to download file


Activity Diary
Basic activity diary

Click to download file

Activity Diary with Enjoyment and Mastery Ratings
Activity diary useful for behavioural activation with depressed patients. Space for rating enjoyment and mastery of each activity.

Click to download

Activity Diary - No Time Slots
Activity diary with blank columns for days

 Click to download

Pain Diary
Record pain ratings. Use the diary to look for any patterns in how the pain changes over the course of the day, and week

 Click to download

Panic Diary
Record panic attack frequency along with body sensations and negative thoughts

Click to download 

Worry Diary
Record worries, predictions associated with worries, and evidence for and against the prediction
     

 

Useful Tools

Click to download

Behavioural Experiment Planning Worksheet
Form for planning and evaluating behavioural experiments

Click to download

Checklist for better sleep
Tick-box approach for clients to assess how well they are setting the conditions for sleep

Guidelines for better sleep 

Guidelines for Better Sleep
Originally designed for clients with PTSD, but applicable to anyone who needs information on sleep hygeine

Click to download 

Intrusive Thoughts Brain Metaphor
A short story / metaphor explaining the persistence of intrusive thoughts

Submitted by Kieran Fleck

 

Click to download file

Pacing
Pacing information and instructions to manage chronic pain

Click to download

PTSD Film Projection Metaphor
A metaphor to help understand origin and treatment of flashbacks in PTSD

Click to download

PTSD Linen Cupboard Metaphor
Illustrated linen cupboard metaphor to explain PTSD treatment rationale to patients

Click to download

PTSD and Memory
Explanation of two important brain regions in PTSD: the amygdala and hippocampus

Click to download

Rewind Technique
Therapist instructions for an imaginal exposure technique that can be used in the treatment of trauma

Click to download file

Stages of Change

An aid for motivational interviewing

Click to download file 

Thoughts and Depression
Simple explanation of cognitive bias in depression

  

Click to download

Threat System / Fight or Flight
Graphical explanation of how the fight or flight system readies the body for action

      

 

Forgiveness tools

Click to download

Unforgiveness hook metaphor
A great metaphor suggested by Stephen Hayes about the dilemma of forgiveness

Click to download

Forgiveness is
Definition of forgiveness

Click to download

Forgiveness quotations
Helpful quotations for teaching about forgiveness

Click to download

Forgiveness methods
Ways of forgiving

 

 

Formulations for Specific Disorders

Click to download 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder Formulation
Cognitive formulation for BDD

 Click to download

Delusions Formulation
Cognitive formulation of delusions

Click to download file 

Panic
Simple vicious cycle for panic

 Click to download file

Panic
Vicious cycle for panic, with space to formulate with clients

 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Formulation

Understanding PTSD
A generic formulation diagram to help clients to understand how post-traumatic stress disorder develops and is maintained

Click to download

PTSD Formulation - Ehlers & Clark
A cognitive formulation of PTSD adapted from Ehlers & Clark (2000) cognitive model

Click to download 

PTSD Formulation
Cognitive formulation of PTSD, based on Westbrook et al. (2007)

      

 

 

Psychology resources made by other people

The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) is an Australian mental health organisation that conducts research, provides training and supervision, and offers a clinical service. They also make amazing resources that are helpful for therapists and their clients. They have nothing to do with PsychologyTools.org, but I'm a big fan of their materials and sometimes find it hard to get to the ones I want in a hurry. I'm providing links direct to some of their materials here:

Depression

Information sheets

  1. What is Depression
  2. What Causes Depression
  3. Psychotherapy for Depression
  4. Vicious Cycle of Depression
  5. Behavioural Activation
  6. Fun Activities Catalogue
  7. Improving How You Feel
  8. Thinking and Feeling
  9. Analysing Your Thinking
  10. Changing Your Thinking
  11. Unhelpful Thinking Styles
  12. What Are Core Beliefs?
  13. Problem Solving
  14. Staying Healthy
  15. Grief and Bereavement

Worksheets

  1. Symptoms of Depression
  2. Behavioural Activation
  3. Weekly Activity Schedule
  4. Weekly Goals Record
  5. Making the Connection
  6. Thought Diary 1
  7. Thought Diary 2
  8. Thought Diary 3
  9. Thought Diary
  10. Core Beliefs Worksheet
  11. Healthy Me
  12. Goal setting (End of therapy)

Self-help Programme

  1. Overview of depression
  2. Behavioural strategies for managing depression
  3. The thinking-feeling connection
  4. The ABC analysis
  5. Unhelpful thinking styles
  6. Detective work and disputation
  7. The end result
  8. Core beliefs
  9. Self management

Panic

Information sheets

  1. What is panic?
  2. Biology & Psychology of Panic
  3. Vicious Cycle of Anxiety
  4. Calming Technique
  5. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
  6. Behavioural Experiments
  7. Situational Exposure
  8. Physical Sensations and Panic

Worksheets

  1. Breathing Rate Record
  2. Anxiety Symptoms Record
  3. Monitoring Relaxation
  4. Sitational Exposure Diary
  5. Internal Exposure Record

Self-help Programme

  1. Overview of panic
  2. More about panic
  3. The thinking-feeling connection
  4. The ABC's of thinking and feeling
  5. Unhelpful thinking styles
  6. Detective work and disputation
  7. Evaluation and balanced thinking
  8. Core beliefs
  9. Coping with physical alarms - Exposure part 1
  10. Coping with physical alarms - Exposure part 2
  11. The calming technique
  12. Self management

Self Esteem

Information Sheets

  1. What is low self-esteem?
  2. How low self-esteem begins
  3. How low self-esteem is maintained
  4. Acknowledging your positives
  5. Negative self-evaluations
  6. Adjusting negative core beliefs
  7. Adjusting rules and assumptions
  8. Overcoming biased expectations
  9. Healthy self esteem

Worksheets

  1. How low self-esteem begins
  2. How low self-esteem is maintained
  3. Positive qualities record
  4. Positive you journal
  5. Adjusting core beliefs
  6. Challenging biased expectations
  7. Experimenting with biased expectations
  8. Thought diary for negative self-evaluations
  9. Adjusting rules & assumptions
  10. Healthy self esteem

Self-help Programme

  1. What is low self-esteem?
  2. How low self-esteem develops
  3. How low self-esteem is maintained
  4. Biased expectations
  5. Negative self-evaluations
  6. Accepting yourself
  7. Adjusting rules and assumptions
  8. Developing balanced core beliefs
  9. Healthy self esteem

Generalised anxiety and mindfulness

Information Sheets

  1. What is generalised anxiety disorder?
  2. What is mindfulness?
  3. Mindfulness and letting go
  4. How worry works
  5. Accepting uncertainty
  6. Behavioural experiments
  7. Calming technique
  8. Progressive muscle relaxation
  9. Postpone your worry
  10. Situational exposure
  11. Coping with stress

Worksheets

  1. Anxiety symptoms record
  2. Breathing rate record/a>
  3. Monitoring relaxation
  4. Situational exposure diary
  5. Postpone your worry
  6. Letting go with mindfulness
  7. Accepting uncertainty
  8. Challenging intolerance of uncertainty

Self-help Programme

  1. Overview of generalised anxiety
  2. Overview of worrying
  3. Negative beliefs about worrying (Part 1)
  4. Negative beliefs about worrying (Part 2)
  5. Positive beliefs about worrying
  6. Challenging worries
  7. Letting go of worries
  8. Accepting uncertainty
  9. Problem solving
  10. Relaxation
  11. Self management

Social anxiety

Information Sheets

  1. What is social anxiety?
  2. What can be done about social anxiety?
  3. Calming technique: breathing
  4. Progressive muscle relaxation
  5. Improving how you feel
  6. Thinking and feeling
  7. Analysing your thinking
  8. Changing your thinking
  9. Unhelpful thinking styles
  10. What are core beliefs?
  11. Situational exposure
  12. Staying healthy

Worksheets

  1. Anxiety symptoms record
  2. Breathing rate record
  3. Monitoring your relaxation level
  4. Weekly activity schedule
  5. Weekly goals record
  6. Making the connection
  7. Thought diary 1
  8. Thought diary 2
  9. Thought diary 3
  10. Thought diaries (Tri-fold)
  11. Core beliefs worksheet
  12. Situational exposure
  13. Situational exposure diary
  14. Healthy me
  15. Goal setting

Self-help Programme

  1. Overview of social anxiety
  2. The calming technique: breathing
  3. Progressive muscle relaxation
  4. The thinking-feeling connection
  5. The ABCs of thinking and feeling
  6. Unhelpful thinking styles
  7. Detective work and disputation
  8. The end result
  9. Core beliefs
  10. Graded exposure 1
  11. Graded exposure 2
  12. Self management

Bipolar Disorder

Information sheets

  1. What is Bipolar Disorder
  2. What Causes Bipolar Disorder
  3. Medications for Bipolar Disorder
  4. Psychosocial Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
  5. Detecting Early Warning Signs
  6. Mood and Symptom Monitoring
  7. Vicious Cycle of Depression
  8. Behavioural Activation
  9. Fun Activities Catalogue
  10. Improving How You Feel
  11. Thinking and Feeling
  12. Analysing Your Thinking
  13. Changing Your Thinking
  14. Unhelpful Thinking Styles
  15. Cognitive Changes in Mania
  16. Preventing Manic Thinking
  17. Preventing Mania
  18. Organising and Prioritising
  19. Coping With Stressful Events
  20. Problem Solving
  21. Staying Healthy

Worksheets

  1. Bipolar Symptoms
  2. Medication Record
  3. Stress Vulnerability
  4. Early Warning Signs
  5. Plan of Action
  6. Mood Monitoring
  7. Symptom Monitoring
  8. Behavioural Activation
  9. Weekly Activity Schedule
  10. Weekly Goals Record
  11. Thoughts and Emotions
  12. Thought Diary 1
  13. Thought Diary 2
  14. Thought Diary 3
  15. Simple Thought Diary
  16. Balance Sheet
  17. Organising Ideas List
  18. Coping Resources
  19. Problem Solving
  20. Self Management Plan
  21. Goal Setting

Self-help Programme

  1. Overview of Bipolar Disorder
  2. Treatment Options
  3. Self Monitoring
  4. Behavioural Strategies for Managing Depression
  5. Cognitive Strategies for Managing Depression
  6. Cognitive Strategies for Preventing Mania
  7. Behavioural Strategies for Preventing Mania
  8. Coping with Stressors

Health anxiety

Self-help Programme

  1. Understanding health anxiety
  2. How health anxiety develops
  3. What keeps health anxiety going?
  4. Reducing your focus on health symptoms and worries
  5. Re-evaluating unhelpful health-related thinking
  6. Reducing checking and reassurance seeking
  7. Challenging avoidance and safety behaviours
  8. Adjusting health rules and assumptions
  9. Healthy living and self-management planning

Perfectionism

Information sheets

  1. What is perfectionism?
  2. What maintains perfectionism?
  3. Reducing perfectionistic behaviours
  4. Challenging perfectionistic thinking
  5. Perfectionism rules and assumptions
  6. Re-evaluating the importance of achieving

Self-help Programme

  1. What is perfectionism
  2. Understanding perfectionism
  3. What keeps perfectionism going?
  4. Changing perfectionism
  5. Reducing my perfectionist behaviour
  6. Challenging my perfectionist thinking
  7. Adjusting unhelpful rules and assumptions
  8. Re-evaluating the importance of achieving
  9. Putting it all together



 

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