Skip to main content

Anger Thought Challenging Record

Evaluating and disputing thoughts is a fundamental skill taught by cognitive therapists to their clients. The Anger Thought Challenging Record can help clients think more accurately, practice the process of questioning their thoughts, and address unhelpful biases in their thinking. 

Clients are encouraged to record specific instances in which angry thoughts, feelings, or responses were triggered, including details of their emotional reactions and any associated body sensations. Training clients to record specific details is often helpful when later elaborating a memory for an event, or simply in understanding the reasons for subsequent thoughts and responses. Clients are also instructed to generate alternate ways of interpreting these experiences.

Download or send

Choose your language

Professional version

Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.

Client version

Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.

Editable version (PPT)

An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.

Translation Template

Are you a qualified therapist who would like to help with our translation project?

Tags

Languages this resource is available in

  • Arabic
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • English (GB)
  • English (US)
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hindi
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese (European)
  • Serbian
  • Sinhala
  • Spanish (International)
  • Vietnamese

Problems this resource might be used to address

Techniques associated with this resource

Mechanisms associated with this resource

Introduction & Theoretical Background

This Anger Thought Challenging Record is designed to help clients to challenge their angry thoughts. Clients are encouraged to record their angry thoughts in specific situations, and then to generate alternate perspectives.

Get access to this resource

View all plans and pricing options

Get Access

Therapist Guidance

Clients should be instructed to record specific instances in which angry thoughts, feelings, or responses were prompted.

  1. In the first column (Situation) clients should be instructed to record what they were doing when they started to notice a significant change in how they were feeling. Training clients to record specific details (such as who they were with, where they were, and what had just happened) is often helpful when later elaborating a memory for an event, or simply in understanding the reasons for subsequent thoughts and responses
  2. In the second column (Angry thoughts) clients should be directed to record any automatic cognitions. They should be reminded that cognitions can take the form of verbal thoughts, but can also take the form of images, or memories. If a recorded cognition is an image (e.g. “I had a picture in my mind of him smiling as he pushed in”), clients should

Get access to this resource

View all plans and pricing options

Get Access

References And Further Reading

  • Beck, A.T., Rush, A.J., Shaw, B.F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford.
  • Fernandez, E., & Beck, R. (2001). Cognitive-behavioral self-intervention versus self-monitoring of anger: Effects on anger frequency, duration, and intensity. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 29(3), 345-356.

Get access to this resource

View all plans and pricing options

Get Access