Trauma · CPT
CPT ABC Worksheet
Activating event · Belief · Consequence — the CPT bridge
About this worksheet
The ABC Worksheet is the first cognitive tool introduced in Cognitive Processing Therapy, usually around session 3. The client picks a moment from the past week — an activating event (A) — names the belief that fired (B), and tracks the emotional or behavioral consequence (C) that followed. CPT's ABC differs from Ellis's REBT version: the goal is not yet to dispute the belief, just to slow the chain down enough that the client can see meaning is doing the work, not the event. Homework is usually one ABC per day for the week between sessions, with a quick check on whether the belief is realistic. The worksheet earns its place by teaching the client, in their own data, that beliefs are mediators — not facts. Stuck points (assimilated and over-accommodated beliefs) emerge naturally from a stack of completed ABCs and become the targets for later challenging-questions work.
When to use it
- Sessions 3–4 of standard CPT, after the Impact Statement and before the Challenging Questions Worksheet.
- As daily homework for the first half of the protocol — one ABC per day.
- With clients who intellectually 'get' that thoughts matter but can't see it in real time.
- Compatible with CPT for PTSD, CPT for Moral Injury, and CPT-Sexual Assault adaptations.
How to use it
- 1Pick a recent moment
Past 24 hours ideally. Any moment with an emotional spike. The smaller the better when starting out.
- 2Name the activating event (A)
One observable sentence — what happened, no interpretation. 'My partner didn't text back' not 'My partner ignored me.'
- 3Write the belief (B)
The thought that flashed through. CPT distinguishes assimilated beliefs (it was my fault) from over-accommodated ones (the world is unsafe). Just capture them first.
- 4Track the consequence (C)
Emotion and behavior. Rate emotion 0–100. Note what the client did or avoided as a result.
- 5Ask: is this belief realistic?
A single yes/no/sort-of. Don't dispute yet — that's the next worksheet. Just open the door to questioning.
Frequently asked questions
What does ABC stand for in CPT?+
Activating event, Belief, and Consequence. The client traces how a real-world event triggers a belief, which produces an emotional or behavioral consequence.
How is the CPT ABC different from REBT's ABC?+
REBT's ABC moves immediately to disputing the belief (D) and the new effect (E). CPT's ABC stays descriptive at first — the goal is to teach the client to see the belief as the mediator before any challenging work begins.
How often should clients complete ABC worksheets?+
Standard CPT assigns one per day during sessions 3–5. Some clients do better with two per day for the first week to build the noticing muscle, then taper.
What are stuck points in CPT?+
Beliefs that keep the client stuck — usually assimilated (it was my fault, I should have known) or over-accommodated (no one can be trusted, the world is dangerous). They surface naturally as the ABC worksheets stack up and become targets for later sessions.
Related worksheets
Worksheet — CPT ABC Worksheet — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.