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A FREE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WORKSHEET

Download our free ways to challenge automatic negative thoughts pdf to help young people develop resilience.  In addition to a strong internal locus of control.   Perfect for school counselors and/or therapists who enjoy using cognitive behavioral therapy with children and teens. 

Examples of Automatic Negative Self-Talk

Some common automatic negative thoughts that kids have are:

• “No one likes me.”
• “I’m so dumb.”
• “I will never be any good.”
• “I better not cry.”
• “What if everyone laughs at me?”
• “He always tries to get me angry.”
• “I hate myself.”
• “Nobody cares.”
• “Everyone is always out to get me.”
• “She always tries to control me.”
• “No one understands me.”
• “I can’t do this.”

Ways to Challenge Automatic Negative Thoughts

When these types of thoughts pop up, you can help young people challenge them by asking questions such as:

• What is a more helpful thought?
• What is another possibility?
• If your friend had thought this, what would you tell them?
• If the worst really did happen, what could you do to deal with it?  Who could help you?
• Can you be 100% sure that this is true?
• What would the people who care about you say?

If you are looking for other Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools, you may also enjoy our Feelings, Thoughts, and Actions poster or  CBT Think-Feel-Do Card Game.