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Automatic Thought Record

The document provides instructions for helping a client complete a thought record to challenge negative automatic thoughts. It involves identifying an automatic thought, then exploring alternative perspectives to generate a more balanced interpretation of the situation. The therapist helps the client question their initial thought and consider other viewpoints by asking questions like what a friend may say or what their wise/compassionate side would respond.

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aawulff
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118 views

Automatic Thought Record

The document provides instructions for helping a client complete a thought record to challenge negative automatic thoughts. It involves identifying an automatic thought, then exploring alternative perspectives to generate a more balanced interpretation of the situation. The therapist helps the client question their initial thought and consider other viewpoints by asking questions like what a friend may say or what their wise/compassionate side would respond.

Uploaded by

aawulff
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Automatic Thought: what thought, image or memory went through your mind?

Alternative Perspective: what is another way of looking at this?

Instructions
“We have spent some time identifying your negative automatic thoughts, and we have talked about how thoughts aren’t
facts even when they feel like they are true. Now, I want to help you to develop the habit of questioning and challenging
your automatic thoughts. With this thought record we’re going to practice challenging your automatic thoughts by
exploring alternative perspectives.”

1. Automatic thought. If completing the thought record retrospectively, start by asking the client to recall a specific
negative automatic thought. If the client has already documented negative automatic thoughts (e.g. with a previous
thought record) you could refer back to some of those situations. Otherwise, begin by encouraging them to recall a
specific instance in which they noticed negative thoughts, feelings, or responses. Remind the client that thoughts
can be verbal or can come as an image.
o What automatic thought should we work with?
o What was going through your mind as you started to feel that way? It might have been words, a phrase, an
image or memory.
2. Alternative perspective. In the second column, the client should be encouraged to explore alternative views of the
situation and to generate alternative interpretations. Therapists familiar with ‘traditional’ CBT thought records could
consider this column to be similar to the ‘alternative thought’ that clients are encouraged to write as a summary
once they have considered the evidence for and against a negative automatic thought. It is likely that the
alternative perspective will be longer and more descriptive than the original thought, taking into consideration a
number of points or pieces of evidence ‘against’ the automatic thought. It may not necessarily be positive. Rather,
the aim is to counter bias in the original thought and to generate alternative ‘balanced’ ways of appraising a
situation. Helpful prompts include:
o What would a friend say to you if you told them about this thought?
o If the automatic thought was being voiced by a ‘sad’ or ‘anxious’ part of you, what would the ‘wise’ or
‘compassionate’ part of
you have to say?
o Can you think of any times when this thought was not true?
o Are there any exceptions to this thought?
o Does anything make you think that thought is not entirely true 100% of the time?

Support the client to finish the alternative perspective with a summary or statement that gives a more balanced,
realistic interpretation of the situation.

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