Use it in CBT sessions, counselling appointments or personal anxiety work to help someone test anxious predictions rather than avoiding the situation or relying on safety behaviours. The handout is especially relevant for adults and older teenagers who tend to expect social situations, everyday tasks or uncertain events to go badly.
This Behavioural Experiments for Negative Predictions PDF is a one-page CBT handout for turning anxious forecasts into practical tests. It explains how negative predictions can lead people to avoid situations, leave early, seek reassurance or rely on safety behaviours, which can keep worries going. The resource introduces common patterns such as overestimating danger, assuming embarrassment or rejection, underestimating coping skills and missing evidence that a more balanced outcome is possible.
The worksheet guides the user through planning and reviewing a behavioural experiment, using a clear social anxiety example to show each step. Prompts support the person to name the belief being tested, rate how strongly it is believed, write an alternative prediction, decide what to do, plan for likely difficulties, record observations and compare the outcome with the original fear.
It can be used by CBT practitioners, counsellors, mental health workers and wellbeing staff as part of sessions on anxiety, social anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem or avoidance. It may also suit guided self-help, revision for therapy skills, supervision discussion, home learning between appointments or printable client worksheets. Download or print the PDF when you need a structured way to help someone test anxious thoughts and build more realistic conclusions from experience.
