O
BJECTIVE
:
This Thought Diary aims to help you
understand the difference between thoughts
and feelings.
I
NSTRUCTIONS
:
Begin with section A:
Write about an event or situation in which you
felt distressed or upset. Record the situation in
the same way that a video camera might record
it – simply the facts.
Then go to section C:
Write down the words that best describe your
feelings. Choose one that best describes how
you feel in this situation. Underline this word &
rate the intensity of the emotion from 0 to 100.
When you have finished, also write down any
actions you may have carried out.
Now look at the situation in A and
complete section B:
List all the thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, and
expectations you had about “A” that caused the
feelings and actions in “C.” Use the automatic
thought discovery questions available. Find the
“Hot thought”, the thought that best relates to
the emotion you underlined in “C”. Rate how
much you believe this statement on a scale from
0 to 100.
Thought
Diary
Name:
Day & Date:
Psychotherapy Research Training
C
C
I
entre for
linical
nterventions
A
Activating Event
This may be either: An actual event or situation, a
thought, mental picture or recollection.
B Beliefs
1. List all statements that link A to C. Ask yourself: “What
was I thinking?” “What was I saying to myself?” “What
was going through my head at the time?”
2. Find the most distressing (hot) thought and underline it
3.
Rate how much you believe this thought between 0 to
100.
C Consequences
1. Write down words describing how you feel.
2. Underline the one that is most associated with the
activating event.
3. Rate the intensity of that feeling (0 to 100).
1. Jot down any physical sensations you experienced
or actions carried out.
O
BJECTIVE
:
This Thought Diary aims to help you analyze
your thinking and challenge unhelpful
thoughts.
I
NSTRUCTIONS
:
Begin with section A:
Write about an event or situation in which you
felt distressed or upset. Record the situation in
the same way that a video camera might record
it – simply the facts.
Then go to section C:
Write down the words that best describe your
feelings. Choose one that best describes how
you feel in this situation. Underline this word &
rate the intensity of the emotion from 0 to 100.
When you have finished, also write down any
actions you may have carried out.
Now look at the situation in A and
complete section B:
List all the thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, and
expectations you had about “A” that caused the
feelings and actions in “C.” Use the automatic
thought discovery questions available. Find the
“Hot thought”, the thought that best relates to
the emotion you underlined in “C”. Rate how
much you believe this statement on a scale from
0 to 100.
Turn to section D, the section in which you
concentrate on change and coping. Go through
the disputation questions.
Finally, complete section E: Balanced
Thinking and re-rate your previous thought and
feeling.
Thought
Diary
Name:
Day & Date:
C
OMPLETE THIS SECTION LAST
E Evaluation: Balanced Thought
After looking at all the evidence for and against your hot
thought, and having considered the disputation questions,
replace the hot thought with helpful, balanced thought/s.
Re-rate Emotion: re-rate the emotion
you underlined in C, from 0 to 100:
Re-rate Hot Thought: re-rate how
much you believe the hot thought,
between 0 to 100:
Psychotherapy Research Training
C
C
I
entre for
linical
nterventions
This document is for information purposes only. Please refer to 
the full disclaimer and copyright statement available at 
http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au regarding the information from 
this website before making use of such information.
Disputation
1. List the factual evidence for and against the Hot
Thought that you underlined in B.
2.
Ask yourself the disputation questions
A Activating Event
This may be either: An actual event or situation, a thought,
mental picture or recollection.
B Beliefs
1. List all statements that link A to C. Ask yourself: “What was I
thinking?” “What was I saying to myself?” “What was going
through my head at the time?”
2. Find the most distressing (hot) thought and underline it
3.
Rate how much you believe this thought between 0 to 100.
D
Factual evidence for my Hot Thought:
Factual evidence against my Hot Thought
Disputation Questions: eg
“What other ways are there of viewing the situation?”
“If I was giving advice to someone I care about who was
thinking this, what would I say?”
C Consequences
1. Write down words describing how you feel.
2. Underline the one that is most associated with the
activating event.
3.
Rate the intensity of that feeling (0 to 100).
4. Jot down any physical sensations you experienced or
actions carried out.
Unhelpful Thinking Styles:
Mental Filter
Jumping to Conclusions
(Mind reading/emotional reasoning)
Personalisation
Catastrophising
All or Nothing
Shoulding & Musting
Labelling
Overgeneralisation
Disqualifying/Ignoring positives