Thought Records

When we start counselling with CBT we are asked to start paying attention to what we’re experiencing. I’ve talked a little about this in an earlier blog about the 5 factor model. Now I’d like to introduce another core tool in CBT: the Thought Record.

Essentially the process focuses on the thoughts we are experiencing and how they make us feel, and asks us to note down the thoughts that distress us, which often pop into our heads automatically (“Negative Automatic Thoughts” or NATs).

In the most basic thought record I would typically use with a client, there are three columns; the situation, the thoughts you experienced, and how they made you feel. For example, I was in the pub and I saw an ex, “He see's me over here and thinks I'm a loser", I feel anxiety and bad about myself.

This is all valuable evidence that helps us see patterns in our thinking. Are we able to see any unhelpful thinking styles when we look back at what we’ve recorded? If we can see an unhelpful thinking style there that’s something that helps us identify that what we are experiencing is definitely worth challenging, which is what we do in the more advanced thought record…

I usually introduce this after the client has got used to gathering these thoughts, the situation and what they are feeling, which can take a bit of practice. The 7 column thought record adds some new columns that follow on from in the original three.

Having completed the first three columns, the next step is to look for facts that support the thought. Can you find facts (and thoughts and opinions are not facts) that support the thought? Sometimes when we sit and look at things, there are actually no facts that support the thought! Next we look for facts that disprove thought.

Then looking at the balance of evidence we come up with a more reasonable alternative to the thought, and finally we ask ourselves how we feel now having gone through that process. We might notice for example that the anxiety we are experiencing has gone from a high 75% at the start of completing the thought record to a more manageable 20% or even lower..

The more we practice this, the more it can become second nature and the more able we are to automatically interrogate and challenge these negative automatic thoughts as they occur. With time these thoughts lose their power and we can see a significant improvement in mood.

An oldie, but still a goodie and one that can make such a positive difference in counselling!

If you would like to talk to me about issues with your mental health, you can complete the online submission form or contact me directly at: mckellarCBT@gmail.com