Simple CBT Model Worksheet
GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps people gain insight into how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Understanding the concept of CBT can help a client better understand their reactions to triggers.
People often react quickly when they feel triggered or overwhelmed, and their reactivity can prevent them from thinking through the triggering situation in a healthy way. CBT teaches a person how to slow down their reactions so they can consider their own perspective of the situation. This helps to prevent impulsive, rash, or harmful behaviors. It also helps to minimize negative thoughts and hurt feelings.
About This Worksheet
The simple CBT model can be used to help clients break down a triggering situation and understand how it has affected their thoughts, feelings, and reactions. It helps illustrate how the situation does not cause the negative responses, but instead how our thoughts and feelings about the situation contribute to our reactions.
The Simple CBT Model worksheet provides the client with a simple explanation of how CBT works, along with a visual representation of the target areas that lead to troubling reactions. It is great to use with adolescents and adults who are being introduced to CBT in individual and group therapy.
Instructions
Begin by providing an explanation of how CBT works and reviewing the worksheet’s introductory paragraph with the client. Explain how each of the elements affects the others, and how CBT looks at the progression to identify and modify problematic thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
Complete the reflection questions with your client to teach them the process of CBT. When you are confident that they understand the process, ask them reflection questions, like:
- How does this model make you feel about your triggers?
- What can we work on to help modify how triggering situations affect you?
- When should you use this worksheet to help build healthy coping skills for your triggers?
Provide them with a blank copy of the worksheet to complete as a homework assignment. Review the results of the worksheet with the client during the following session.
References
Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
