Download the worksheet (PDF)
What is the “What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen” CBT worksheet?
The “What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen” CBT work sheet is a single page that separates two kinds of prediction. What Could Happen holds the anxiety-driven possibilities, the hypothetical scenarios that may or may not occur. What Will Happen holds the outcomes the client can support with evidence, which is a much shorter list.
How to use the “What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen” CBT worksheet
Use it both in session and as homework. Start with the worry stated plainly, then work the five numbered questions in order. Question two asks for indicators that the concern may not materialize, and question four asks whether the client would be okay if it did. What Could Happen is filled first on purpose: a client asked for the realistic version first will simply repeat the fear. Your clients can answer question five between sessions, comparing how the same worry reads a week later.
“What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen” CBT Worksheet Download – What’s Included
One printable page, not fillable. The top half defines the two categories: What Could Happen as anxiety-driven possibility, What Will Happen as the evidence-based expectation. Below that sits Practical Application: Identifying and Balancing Thoughts, five numbered questions with writing space. They move from the worry itself, through evidence against it and the likely alternative, to whether the client would cope and how the worry has changed.
Based on Aaron Beck’s cognitive therapy (CBT). Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Why this worksheet helps
Equip your clients to combat anxiety-provoking thoughts with Mentalyc’s FREE CBT Cheat Sheet: What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen!
What is the “What Could Happen vs. What Will Happen” CBT Technique?
This CBT technique challenges catastrophizing – the tendency to assume the worst possible outcome in any situation. The worksheet guides clients in exploring realistic possibilities rather than dwelling on worst-case scenarios.
Why is Our Worksheet Useful?
- Reduces Anxiety: Teaches clients to challenge anxious predictions with a more balanced perspective.
- Improves Decision-Making: Encourages clients to consider all possibilities before taking action.
- Promotes Problem-Solving: Equips clients with skills to address potential challenges effectively.
