Tool category · 2 of 5

CBT & cognitive tools

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is built on a deceptively simple idea: what you think shapes what you feel. These worksheets help you catch the automatic thoughts that keep the loop going, and replace them with something more accurate.

Tool 1 · Classic 7-column

Thought Record Card

Fill the columns in order. The aim is not positive thinking — it's more accurate thinking.

1 · Situation (where, when, who)

2 · Automatic thought (the sentence in your head)

3 · Emotion(s)

Intensity (0–100)

Now: 70

4 · Evidence FOR the thought

5 · Evidence AGAINST the thought

6 · Balanced / reframe

7 · Re-rate emotion intensity

Now: 50 · Change: −20

Step-by-step

Pick one moment, not a whole week.
Write the thought as a sentence you'd say to a friend.
Don't try to feel better yet — just observe.
Evidence FOR must be honest. Soft-pedalling defeats the tool.
Evidence AGAINST is the meat. Be a fair-minded lawyer.
Reframe without forcing positivity. "I might mess up and I have recovered before" is balanced.

Watch for

Stuck on "yes, but…"? Try the Distortion Spotter to name what's blocking you.
Reframe sounds fake? Aim for believability score ≥ 5/10, not 10/10.
No change in intensity? Add a third column: "What would I tell a friend?"

FAQ

How often should I do this?

Daily for two weeks is a typical starter dose. After that, taper to "when I notice I'm spiralling".

Why seven columns, not three?

Three columns don't slow you down enough to think clearly. Seven is just enough friction to interrupt the loop.

Where does my data go?

Nowhere. Everything you type stays in this browser tab. Download it if you want to keep it.

Tool 2 · Pattern matching

Cognitive Distortion Spotter

Type a worry; we'll suggest likely cognitive distortions based on common linguistic markers. Then pick the ones that fit.

A thought you're having right now

Suggestions are based on lexical markers, not a diagnosis. Pick what resonates.

Likely patterns

All 13 distortions

Click to expand. Hold ⌘/Ctrl to multi-select.

Selected

No distortions selected.

What to do once you spot one

Name it: "I'm fortune-telling."
Ask: what's the actual evidence?
Ask: is there another explanation?
Re-rate the feeling.

Naming a distortion alone often reduces its grip. The brain doesn't recycle what it has labelled.

FAQ

Why 13?

Beck and Burns's classic list plus a few newer additions. No list is definitive — these are useful patterns, not laws.

Is spotting a distortion the same as fixing it?

No, but it's the necessary first step. After spotting, take the evidence to the Reframe Studio.

Tool 3 · Decision aid

Worry-Tree Decision

Adapted from Borkovec's GAD protocol. Asks a sequence of yes/no questions that route your worry to one of three actions.

The worry

How the tree works

Is the problem real & current? If yes → problem-solve now.
Is it hypothetical? If yes → postpone to a 15-minute worry window.
Can I accept it? If yes → let it be, return attention to the present.
Otherwise → seek help.

Tool 4 · Multi-step

Reframe Studio

Feed in a thought. The studio walks you through five structured prompts and produces 5 candidate reframes, ranked by believability.

Step 1 · The thought

Step 2 · Choose 3 prompts

Step 3 · Ranked reframes

Choose prompts and click Generate.

Step 4 · Believability

Score each reframe 0–10. The studio will surface the one you rate highest-believable and highest-accurate.

Tool 5 · Classic REBT

ABC Model Worksheet

Ellis's Activating event → Beliefs → Consequences. Add a D for "Dispute" and an E for "Effective new belief".

A · Activating event B · Belief (about A)

C · Consequence (emotion & behaviour) D · Dispute the belief E · Effective new belief

Tool 6 · Worst-case analysis

Decatastrophizing Scale

Describe the worst case, best case, and most likely case. Then estimate survival odds — almost always higher than the anxious brain expects.

Worst case

Survival odds (%)

95%

Recovery time

Best case

Likelihood (%)

10%

Most likely

Likelihood (%)

80%

Composite read

Fill in the three boxes above. The summary will appear here.

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