Worksheet
Cognitive Defusion Technique
The Cognitive Defusion Technique Worksheet introduces clients to practices drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This worksheet helps clients notice and name negative thoughts and create space between their inner dialogue and their lived experience.
How to Use the Cognitive Defusion Technique Worksheet
This worksheet introduces simple ACT-based techniques to help clients separate from distressing thoughts and reduce cognitive fusion. By practicing exercises like naming a thought as “just another judgment,” clients can build psychological flexibility and respond more intentionally to negative thinking.
Who It's For
This worksheet is especially helpful for clients who feel stuck in negative thought patterns, struggle with anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem, or experience frequent cognitive fusion with self-critical beliefs. Whether a client is new to defusion techniques or looking to deepen their ACT practice, this worksheet provides a flexible entry point into shifting their relationship with unhelpful thinking.
Expected Outcomes
- Greater awareness of how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact in everyday life
- Reduced reactivity to distressing thoughts and negative beliefs
- Strengthened psychological flexibility and ability to respond to inner experiences with intention
- A growing sense of empowerment over one’s relationship with difficult thoughts
Related Topics
References
Healy, H., Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., Keogh, C., Luciano, C., & Wilson, K. (2008). An experimental test of a cognitive defusion exercise: Coping with Negative and Positive Self-Statements. The Psychological Record, 58(4), 623–640. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03395641
Frequently Asked Questions About Cognitive Defusion Technique Resources
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