Countering Negative Thoughts Thought Log Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Everyone faces challenges sometimes, and learning how to find a resolution and learn from the experience can help clients in therapy grow. A huge factor that affects a person's ability to handle challenges while maintaining inner peace and growth is the way they handle their negative thoughts.
Understanding how to counter negative thoughts in reaction to life challenges can reduce reactivity and promote healthier coping strategies. It can also encourage clients to seek a healthy solution and engage in effective emotional wellness practices.
About This Worksheet
Teaching clients to cope with negative thoughts takes time and practice. Structured exercises that break the process into steps can encourage consistent use of healthy coping skills. The Countering Negative Thoughts Thought Log worksheet offers a step-by-step process of learning how to understand and counter negative thoughts.
The Countering Negative Thoughts Thought Log worksheet can be used with clients who struggle with seeing a challenging situation from a healthy perspective. By countering negative thoughts, clients learn to think in patterns that lead to resolution, rather than focusing on the frustration that comes from not being able to control the situation.
This worksheet is a great resource to use with adolescents and adults in individual and group counseling sessions. It is best utilized as a homework assignment.
Instructions
Begin by introducing the worksheet and reviewing the introductory paragraph with the client. Explain the content of the worksheet and why learning how to counter negative thoughts is important.
Review the eight questions provided on the worksheet and the process of countering negative thoughts. Then, instruct the client to take the worksheet home and complete it as a homework assignment. During the following session, review the client’s responses and explore their experience using discussion questions, like:
- Did you notice any changes in how you felt after completing the worksheet?
- How did it feel to slow down and challenge your thoughts in a new way?
- What questions were especially helpful for you to consider?
Encourage the client to use the Countering Negative Thoughts Thought Log worksheet whenever they are coping with negative thoughts in reaction to a challenge. Regular practice will help them develop a healthier, more solution-focused perspective.
References
Troy, A. S., Wilhelm, F. H., Shallcross, A. J., & Mauss, I. B. (2017). Cognitive reappraisal and acceptance: Effects on emotion regulation. Journal of Cognitive Psychology.
