Safety Behaviors Worksheet (Free PDF Download)

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Download the worksheet (PDF)

What is the Safety Behaviors worksheet?

The safety behaviors worksheet opens with a grid of common examples to circle, among them Avoidance, Reassurance Seeking, Over-preparing and Using a Phone as a Distraction. The sheet defines them as actions that cut anxiety in the moment while leaving the feared situation untested.

How to use the Safety Behaviors worksheet

Use it both in session and as homework. Start with the circling grid, since clients name Avoidance readily but rarely count Over-preparing or Sticking to Safe Topics as anything but diligence. Then move to the Personal Challenge Plan, filling Situation and Safety Behavior in the room and keeping Steps to Challenge deliberately small. Your clients can rate anxiety from 0 to 10 after each attempt, which is what shows the fear falling without the behavior.

Safety Behaviors Worksheet Download – What’s Included

Two printable pages. Page one carries a short definition and a grid of twenty-four behaviors to circle, from Leaving Early to Avoiding Eye Contact. There is room to add your own, plus a prompt to list what you do to feel safe. Page two is the Personal Challenge Plan table: Situation, Safety Behavior, Steps to Challenge, and an anxiety rating from 0 to 10.

Why this worksheet helps

While safety behaviors may offer temporary relief, they can hinder progress in the long run. Mentalyc’s FREE Safety Behaviors Worksheet equips therapists with a valuable tool to guide clients in identifying and challenging these behaviors.

Frequently asked questions

What are safety behaviors?

Actions people use to feel safe in a situation they find threatening. The sheet’s list runs from obvious ones like leaving early or avoiding eye contact to less obvious ones like over-preparing. They work briefly, then keep the fear intact, because nothing tests whether the feared outcome would actually happen.

What are examples of safety behaviors?

The grid names twenty-four, including relying on a friend, dressing to blend in, talking too much, monitoring reactions, pre-planning exits and alcohol use. Most of them look like ordinary habits, which is why clients need the list rather than a definition to spot their own.

Used this worksheet in a session?

Mentalyc writes the note for you, including the homework you assigned.

Record or upload the session and get a compliant progress note, treatment plan, and client summary in minutes. More time for the clinical work these worksheets support, less time on paperwork after hours.

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Your Author

Tracy Collins, LCP

Tracy Collins is a licensed clinical psychologist with over six years of direct clinical experience in outpatient and telehealth settings. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, structured treatment planning, and measurable therapy outcomes. Tracy has extensive experience writing SOAP and DAP notes, developing insurance-compliant treatment plans, and aligning documentation with ICD-10 and DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria. Her clinical approach integrates cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, behavioral activation, exposure-based interventions, and mindfulness-based strategies to create structured and outcome-driven therapy plans. At Mentalyc, Tracy supports therapists by creating educational resources that simplify documentation workflows and improve treatment plan defensibility during audits.