Negative irrational thoughts can affect how people feel, act, and see themselves. These thoughts often show up as harsh self-judgments or worst-case assumptions, even when there’s little evidence for them. Learning to recognize and challenge irrational thoughts is an important part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
The Challenging Negative Thoughts worksheet presents six questions to help clients assess their harmful beliefs. These questions focus on reviewing the evidence for thoughts and considering new perspectives. This allows clients to take a step back and look at their thoughts from a more objective point of view.
Prior to using this tool, introduce your client to the CBT model and help them identify negative thoughts to challenge.
