TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE WORKSHEET

Triggering Situation:

Explain a recent event that may have made you experience negative thoughts or feelings.

Automatic Negative Thoughts:

Describe the first automatic thoughts that will occur/appear  in your mind for the situation.

Evaluation:

• Fact-based or assumptions?
• How realistic is this thought? What supports it? What refutes it?

Challenge and Reframe:

• In this case, what is a more constructive and less polarized way of looking at this situation?
• How might another person perceive this scenario?

Affirmations:

• List three positive or affirming statements that can be used to challenge the identified negative cognition.

Mindfulness Practice:

• Try to become aware of your thoughts without any form of criticism or judgment. Pay attention to the feelings you have as you are doing this worksheet to identify any changes.

References

1. Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
2. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1

You can download more Mental Health worksheets here.

Please note: There may be a more up-to-date and editable version of this worksheet available here which may be more suitable to present to clients if you are a therapist or to use in a classroom as a teacher or guidance counsellor.