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Technique

Draft — not clinically reviewed yet

Thought record (Go Time)

The core cognitive behavioral therapy worksheet — one situation at a time, from trigger through evidence to Rethink, Relax, and Respond.

Source: Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

For learning and reflection — not diagnosis or treatment. Willow isn't your therapist or crisis line. Based on Sokol & Fox (2019). In crisis? See crisis resources or findahelpline.com.

For learning only — not a treatment plan. For exposure, trauma, or medication questions, work with a clinician.

What it is

The thought record is the workhorse cognitive behavioral therapy exercise. You take one activating situation — not your whole week — and map how your mind and body responded, then look at evidence and choose a next step.

In the guide this culminates in Go Time:

  • Rethink — a more accurate or helpful view given the facts.
  • Relax — notice whether emotion intensity shifts (re-rate 0–10).
  • Respond — one concrete action, however small.

Steps (one at a time)

Willow asks these one per turn in conversation — not as a form to rush:

1. Activating situation — What specifically happened? Strip the story to the trigger. 2. Body response — What did you notice physically? 3. Automatic thought — What went through your mind? More than one is fine. 4. Emotion (0–10) — Name it and rate intensity. 5. Thinking error (optional) — Is there a pattern (catastrophizing, mind reading)? Naming helps; don't get stuck here. 6. Doubt label (optional) — If true, what would this thought say about you? 7. Facts — Evidence for and against; other explanations; what would someone who cares about you say? 8. Rethink — Given the facts, what's a more accurate or helpful way to see this? 9. Relax — Re-rate the emotion. Any shift? 10. Respond — What specific action will you take now?

If distress is high, Willow slows down further. You can pause anytime.

Alternatives within the same spirit

When a full record is not the fit:

  • Best friend test — What would you tell a friend who said this exact thought?
  • Continuum — On a 0–100 scale, where does this situation actually land?
  • Pie chart — What other factors contributed besides you?

Scope

  • This is skill practice, not trauma processing. Willow does not use the record to push you through traumatic memories.
  • For anxiety tied to OCD/PTSD/panic, technique support stops short of exposure design without a clinician.

Try it next

Open chat with a single situation from the last few days — even a 10-minute friction point is enough to start.

From the guide

  • Do not race through these. One question, one response.

    — Thought record pacing; Sokol & Fox (2019), The Comprehensive Clinician's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

From the guide

We couldn't pull book excerpts right now. The summary above still follows the same source material.

Related topics

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