In a counselling session, CBT appointment or at home after a difficult moment, this ABC analysis handout helps people slow down and record what happened, what they thought, and how they felt. It is especially relevant for adults managing depression, low mood, anxiety or distress who need a printable thought diary for identifying unhelpful thoughts and “hot thoughts”.
The ABC Analysis Thought Diary for Low Mood and CBT Skills uses the familiar Activating Event, Beliefs and Consequences structure to help users break down an upsetting situation step by step. The worksheet prompts them to describe the factual event, notice self-statements, identify the most distressing “hot thought”, and rate belief strength and emotional intensity from 0 to 100.
It also includes practical thought discovery questions, such as “What is bad about that?” and “What does this say about me?”, which can support reflection when feelings are strong or thoughts feel automatic. The included examples, such as anxiety at a party and feeling hurt when a partner behaves differently, show how the ABC model can be completed in a clear and relatable way.
This printable CBT handout may be useful for counselling sessions, therapy homework, wellbeing support, guided self-help, home learning, or reflective journalling. Practitioners can use it to introduce cognitive behavioural therapy skills, plan a discussion about unhelpful thoughts, or provide a structured thought record for work between appointments. Users can print the worksheet, complete it after a difficult interaction, and bring it back to review patterns in mood, beliefs and responses. Produced by the Centre for Clinical Interventions.
