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    Thought record

    思维记录表

    Technique
    Also called
    7-column thought record, Automatic thought record

    A structured worksheet used in Cognitive behavioral therapy. The person records a situation, their moods and automatic thoughts, then circles one “hot thought,” weighs the evidence for and against it, writes an alternative or balanced thought and re-rates their moods.[1][3]

    Select a column to see what goes in it. Columns 1–3 capture the moment; columns 4–7 test the thought.
    The seven columns of the thought record in Mind Over Mood. Columns 1–3 capture the moment; columns 4–7 test the hot thought. Point at or tap parts of the figure for details
    The seven columns of the thought record in Mind Over Mood. Columns 1–3 capture the moment; columns 4–7 test the hot thought. Save as image (PNG)

    Key points

    • The version in Mind Over Mood has seven columns: situation; moods (0–100%); automatic thoughts; evidence that supports the hot thought; evidence that does not; alternative/balanced thoughts; moods re-rated.[1]
    • Columns 1–3 capture the moment: situation, moods and thoughts. Columns 4–7 are for cognitive restructuring: the person circles one “hot thought” and gathers facts, not interpretations, about it.[1][3]
    • Christine Padesky designed the form in the late 1970s (copyright 1983). It was the first thought record to include evidence columns and an alternative/balanced thought column.[2]
    • In a randomized study of 91 non-clinical participants split across three conditions, a single thought-record session improved beliefs, anxiety and behavior more than a control intervention.[4]

    An example

    Jay’s manager cuts him off in a meeting. That evening Jay fills in a thought record: the situation, “angry 80%” and the thought “He looks down on me.” As evidence for, he lists the interruption; against, that the manager asked for his figures afterward. He writes a balanced thought and re-rates his anger: 40%.

    Misreadings and limits

    Writing thoughts down is only half the tool: in the seven-column format, the testing happens in columns 4–7.[3] Nor is it always the most effective option. In a randomized comparison, behavioral experiments had a small edge, changing the target belief sooner and more broadly.[4]

    Sources

    1. 1 Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (2016). Worksheet 9.2: Thought record. Mind over mood: Change how you feel by changing the way you think (2nd ed.), Guilford Press. Form copyright 1983 by Christine A. Padesky. View source
    2. 2 MindOverMood.com (2023). Note about 7 column thought record. Mind Over Mood (official website of the book by D. Greenberger & C. A. Padesky). View source
    3. 3 Padesky, C. A., & Greenberger, D. (2020). The clinician's guide to CBT using Mind over mood (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. View source
    4. 4 McManus, F., Van Doorn, K., & Yiend, J. (2012). Examining the effects of thought records and behavioral experiments in instigating belief change. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 43(1), 540–547. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.07.003

    Last checked against sources: October 26, 2026