Download the worksheets (PDF)
Two free cognitive distortion worksheets in one download: an adult cheatsheet covering ten distortions, each with a description, an example and a challenge, and a plain-language thinking errors sheet written for children and teens.
What this worksheet covers
The cognitive distortions pdf is two sheets pitched at different ages. The adult sheet lists ten distortions, each with a Description, an Example and a Challenge, starting at All-or-Nothing Thinking. The children’s sheet covers the same ground in plain words, naming them Feelings are facts, Ignoring the good and Fortune Telling.
One more worksheet on this topic
A clinical reference and a plain-language version for younger clients. The adult cheatsheet is the sheet this page hands over first; the Thinking Errors sheet below covers the same ground in words a child can use.
Using these in session
Use either in session or as homework, but pick one sheet rather than both. Choose by reading level, not by age alone. The adult sheet names the distortion and then hands over six techniques, including examine the evidence and the double standard method. The children’s sheet asks only one question under each error: do you have an example of when you have thought like this? Your clients can bring that example back, which is usually a better starting point than a definition anyone can agree with in the abstract.
What the download includes
Two printable pages, one per worksheet, each with a worked example and its source cited on the sheet. The adult Cognitive Distortions cheatsheet: ten distortions, each with what it sounds like and how to answer it, six techniques for working on them, and a table for catching one of your own. The Thinking Errors sheet covers five errors in child-friendly language, each with a box for the client’s own example.
Cognitive Distortions Cheatsheet
One page: ten distortions, each with what it sounds like and how to answer it, followed by six techniques for working on them and a table for one of your own.
Thinking Errors
One page covering five thinking errors in child-friendly language, each with a box for the client’s own example.
FAQ
Cognitive distortions as described in cognitive therapy. Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders.
