Cognitive Distortions: Blaming Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Worksheet updated on October 27th, 2025
A key part of using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients cope with their triggers is teaching them about cognitive distortions. Cognitive distortions are common patterns of thinking errors. They can strongly influence how a person feels and responds to stressful situations. By learning to recognize and challenge these patterns, clients can develop healthier thought patterns.
Clients in therapy often struggle with managing cognitive distortions. A common cognitive distortion is blaming. Blaming occurs when a person blames others for their problems or emotions, while avoiding or evading responsibility for their own role in the situation.
Blaming can result in consequences that negatively impact a client's mental health, as it prevents a person from accepting responsibility for the challenges they face in their lives. Without confronting their blaming behaviors, clients will struggle to understand the part they play in their problems, or their responsibility in finding a solution.
About This Worksheet
Understanding how blaming affects thoughts and feelings can help a client in therapy learn how to redirect their thoughts away from blame and toward accountability and resolution. The Cognitive Distortions: Blaming worksheet gives clients a brief overview of what blaming is and how it can affect their judgment. With the examples provided, this worksheet illustrates how blaming affects thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of difficult situations.
This worksheet is great for adolescents and adults seeking CBT to learn how to resolve the issues in their lives. It can be utilized in individual and group sessions.
Instructions
Review the explanation of what blaming is with the client and use the example provided to explain how blaming affects a person's thought patterns and reactions to challenging situations. Emphasize the negative effects of blaming on a person's thoughts, feelings, and reactions, and explain why it is important to be aware of how blaming directly affects their overall well-being and mental health.
Instruct the client to complete the reflection questions. When they have completed the worksheet, review their responses to the questions. Explore how blaming may be affecting them by asking discussion questions, like:
- How did the reflection questions on this worksheet help you balance your thoughts?
- How can we help you build comfort in balancing responsibility without pointing blame?
- How can focusing less on blame help you resolve issues and regulate your feelings?
Use this worksheet as a guide for helping the client learn how to reduce the habit of blaming in the future. Encourage them to refer to the worksheet when they notice patterns of blaming others between sessions.
References
Friedman, H. H. (2023). Overcoming cognitive distortions: How to recognize and challenge the thinking traps that make you miserable. ResearchGate.
