Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet

What is the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet?

Before we discuss the worksheet properly, let’s briefly talk about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short.

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What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?

CBT is a type of talking therapy, which means a good chunk of the work will be done through conversation. This form of therapy aims to positively change how clients respond to certain scenarios, specifically what they think and do when these events occur.

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This therapy operates on the core belief that a person’s feelings (emotions, physical sensations), thoughts, behaviors, and actions are all connected. Given this, a CBT therapist will focus on a person’s negative thoughts and patterns, breaking them down into smaller or more manageable bits, then replacing them with positive, realistic, and rational thoughts and behaviors. By restructuring how a client should think and act when they are dealing with a distressing situation, they can work through their problems in healthier ways. Reframe negative thoughts, and work towards a healthier and happier mindset.

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A CBT therapist can’t do that without getting to know the client first. That’s where CBT worksheets come in!

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CBT worksheets are wonderful tools to get to know the client, and some serve as thought exercises for the client to practice particular skills the therapist can teach them during CBT sessions.

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The Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet falls under the type of CBT worksheet that serves the therapist because it will not only help them get to know their client, but it can also help the therapist identify recurring thoughts and behavioral patterns that their client has (whether the client is aware of these patterns or not).

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How does the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet work?

The Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet is a basic CBT worksheet that doesn’t require the client to do anything complicated.

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It’s quite simple - The client simply needs to fill out labeled boxes daily between CBT sessions for the first two or three weeks of the CBT program.

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The client will first indicate a psychologically distressing scenario that happened to them during a particular day. It doesn’t matter how trivial the situation is. So long as the event distresses them in some way, they can write them down. Have them write as descriptively as possible because what they indicate will give you a good idea of their experiences.

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Next, they will write down the thoughts and emotions they felt during and after the scenario. They can write down both positive and negative thoughts and feelings.

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Last, they will indicate the behavior and actions they exhibited during and after the scenario. It’s the same thing with thoughts and emotions. They can write down both positive and negative behaviors and actions.

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That’s it! Simple, right?

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Other versions of this worksheet have sections where clients can write alternate thoughts and behaviors, but that’s for when the client and therapist are past the getting-to-know-you phase of the CBT program. This version is for the early stages.

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Once a filled-out copy has been submitted to the therapist, the therapist will work to identify the client's negative thoughts and behavioral patterns, then point them out so the client becomes aware of them. Self-awareness is key to CBT, and it helps with cognitive restructuring. Once the client is aware of their negative thoughts and behavioral patterns, the therapist can teach them CBT techniques as they converse and through other worksheets.

When is it best to use the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet?

All Cognitive Behavioral Therapy worksheets have an appropriate time as to when they should be used.

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In the case of this version of the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet, it is best used during the earliest sessions of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program. These early sessions are for the therapist and client to get to know each other to establish rapport and trust.

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Since Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will zoom into a client’s life in terms of things causing them psychological distress, getting them to talk about their troubles might be overwhelming. Most people would have a tough time discussing what bothers them.

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Some people will have a hard time discussing things with their therapist because they don’t trust them yet, so it’s the therapist’s job to create a safe space to discuss their problems without fear of judgment.

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Some people have a hard time talking because they are shy or don’t know how to articulate what they’re going through via speech, but there might be a chance they can do so through writing. That’s where worksheets like this come in. You will get a good picture of your patient by handing out worksheets that have them write about their troubles, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and actions. You might even learn things from them through the worksheets that you might not when conversing with them.

What are the Benefits of using the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet?

It can help the therapist get to know their clients.

As mentioned earlier, getting clients to speak up about their problems can be complicated, even if they’re in a setting where they can do exactly that. Some clients will find it easy to talk to their therapist because the therapist is technically a stranger, but most people don’t find it easy because of that fact. Phrases like “don’t talk to strangers” or “stranger danger” are usually hammered down on us by parents or guardians – for good reason!

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But you can’t get anywhere with your therapy program if your client can’t open up to you, so besides creating a safe and non-judgmental space for them, you have worksheets such as this at your disposal. If a client has trouble opening up about the things causing them distress, you can issue this worksheet to help them articulate themselves better.

It can help the therapist identify recurring thoughts and behavioral patterns.

Since one of the goals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is to pinpoint negative thoughts and behavioral patterns, this worksheet can do just that! By having them write in the journal, the therapist will know what the client has to deal with.

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The therapist will also learn what the client thinks, feels, and does when facing certain situations. Seeing all of these in the journal will help therapists identify recurring patterns, and they can point these patterns out in later sessions so the client can be made aware of them. These patterns will be the focus of the therapy, and the client and therapist can work together to combat these patterns and replace them with better ones.

It sets the grounding for sessions and other worksheets.

Once the client is aware of their negative thought and behavioral patterns, the next step is to teach them essential skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, better communication, conflict resolution, and much more! The therapist can do so by teaching them concepts like Decatastrophizing, which is reshaping the expectation of worst-case scenarios by providing realistic and alternate outcomes that the patient can work towards.

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Since the Thoughts and Behaviors Journal CBT Worksheet will set the grounding for the program, other worksheets can use what was written in the journal so that clients can apply different cognitive restructuring methods using the information they jotted down. This is for the practical application of the skills taught by the therapist.