In therapy sessions, school counselling rooms or at home after a stressful event, the sheet can be used to capture a specific situation before it becomes blurred or overwhelming. It includes space for the date, time and situation or trigger, making it practical for clients who are tracking patterns in anxiety, low mood, anger, worry or self-critical thoughts.
The main record is arranged into six clear sections: situation, thoughts, emotions, evidence, alternative thought and outcome. Each section uses simple prompts, such as what happened, who was there, what went through your mind, what evidence supports or does not support the thought, and how you feel afterwards. Emotion intensity is rated from 0 to 100%, which helps people notice whether their feelings shift after looking at the thought more carefully.
The format is especially suitable for CBT practitioners, counsellors, social workers, mental health support workers and school staff working with teenagers, young adults and adults. Older children may also be able to use it with adult support, particularly if they are already familiar with naming emotions and linking thoughts, feelings and situations.
A notes and reflections box at the bottom gives extra room for learning points, patterns noticed, next steps or points to bring back to a session. The visual column layout makes it easy to print as a CBT thought diary, cognitive restructuring worksheet, therapy homework sheet or session handout for people practising how to challenge automatic negative thoughts.
