ABC Client Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you understand your behaviors using the ABC Model (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence). By exploring what happens before, during, and after a behavior, you can gain insight into why it happens and how to make positive changes. The worksheet focuses on the context of your life; your experiences, environment, emotions, and values to make the process personal and meaningful. Fill it out on your own or with your therapist to guide our work together.

Instructions

Choose a Behavior: Pick a behavior you’d like to understand or change. It could be something you do (e.g., avoiding social events), a thought (e.g., “I’m not good enough”), or a feeling (e.g., anxiety).
Describe the Context: Think about the bigger picture of your life when this behavior happens. What’s going on around you? How are you feeling? What matters to you?
Fill in the ABCs: Answer the questions for each part of the model (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence).
Reflect: Use the reflection questions to think about patterns and next steps.
Bring to Session: Share your worksheet with your therapist to discuss what you’ve learned and plan changes.

Worksheet

Step 1: Describe the Behavior

What specific behavior do you want to focus on? (e.g., “I avoid speaking up in meetings” or “I worry about failing”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Step 2: Describe the Context

Your context is the bigger picture of your life when this behavior happens. Answer these questions to set the stage:

Where and when does this behavior usually happen? (e.g., at work, at home, in social situations)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
Who is usually around? (e.g., friends, family, coworkers, strangers)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How are you feeling emotionally or physically? (e.g., stressed, tired, hopeful)
- Answer: ____________________________________________________________
What’s happening in your life? (e.g., recent challenges, successes, or changes)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What matters to you in this situation? (e.g., being respected, feeling connected, achieving a goal)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How does your past influence this behavior? (e.g., past experiences that make you sensitive to certain situations)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Step 3: Fill in the ABC Model

Think about a specific time when this behavior happened. Answer the questions below to map out the Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence.

Antecedent (A): What happened before the behavior?

What was the trigger? (e.g., an event, like being asked a question, or a thought, like “I’ll look foolish”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What was going on in your environment? (e.g., noisy room, crowded place)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What were you thinking or feeling? (e.g., nervous, “I can’t handle this”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How did your context (from Step 2) shape this trigger? (e.g., feeling tired made the trigger more overwhelming)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Behavior (B): What did you do or think?

What was the behavior? (e.g., stayed quiet, left the room, thought “I’m a failure”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
Was this something others could see (e.g., an action) or something inside (e.g., a thought or feeling)?
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How did your context influence this behavior? (e.g., past criticism made you avoid speaking up)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Consequence (C): What happened after the behavior?

What was the immediate result? (e.g., felt relieved, avoided embarrassment)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What was the longer-term result? (e.g., missed an opportunity, felt lonely)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
Did the consequence make the behavior more or less likely to happen again? Why?
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How does this outcome relate to your values or goals? (e.g., conflicts with wanting to connect with others)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Step 4: Reflect

Use these questions to think about what you’ve learned and what you’d like to change.

What patterns do you notice in your ABCs? (e.g., “I avoid situations when I feel judged”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How does your context (e.g., stress, past experiences, values) influence this pattern?
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What might happen if you tried a different behavior? (e.g., “If I spoke up, I might feel proud but nervous”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
What small step could you take to move toward your goals? (e.g., “Say one thing in a meeting”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________
How can your therapist help you with this? (e.g., “Practice new behaviors in session”)
- Answer: __________________________________________________________

Example: Marie’s Worksheet

Behavior: Avoiding social events
Context:

Where/when: At parties or gatherings with new people.
Who: Strangers or acquaintances.
Emotions/Physical: Tired from work, anxious.
Life Events: Recently moved to a new city, feeling lonely.
Values: Wants close friendships.
Past Influence: Was teased as a child for blushing, so fears being judged.

Antecedent (A):

Trigger: Invited to a coworker’s party, thinks “I’ll blush and look foolish.”
Environment: Crowded, noisy setting.
Thoughts/Feelings: Nervous, “Everyone will notice I’m anxious.”
Context Influence: Being tired makes the thought feel more overwhelming.

Behavior (B):

Behavior: Declines the invitation or leaves early.
Visible/Internal: Visible (not attending).
Context Influence: Past teasing makes her avoid situations where she might blush.

Consequence (C):

Immediate: Feels relieved, avoids anxiety.
Long-Term: Feels lonelier, misses chances to connect.
Likelihood: More likely to avoid again because relief feels good.
Values: Conflicts with her goal of building friendships.

Reflection:

Patterns: “I avoid social events when I worry about being judged.”
Context Influence: “My past teasing makes me sensitive to attention, and being tired makes it worse.”
Different Behavior: “If I stayed for 30 minutes, I might meet someone nice but feel anxious.”
Small Step: “Attend a short event and say hi to one person.”
Therapist Help: “Practice social skills in session and plan how to handle anxiety.”

Tips for Using This Worksheet

Be Honest: Write what feels true for you, even if it’s hard to share.
Take Your Time: You don’t have to fill it out all at once. Try observing a behavior for a few days.
Use Your Context: Think about how your life shapes your answers—it’s key to understanding your behaviors.
Bring It to Session: We’ll use your worksheet to guide our work and create a plan that fits your life.
Be Kind to Yourself: Understanding your behaviors is a big step toward change. Celebrate your effort!

Ready to Explore?

This worksheet is a tool to help you see your behaviors clearly and take steps toward the life you want. By looking at your behaviors in the context of your unique experiences, we can find meaningful ways to move forward. Fill out the worksheet and bring it to our next session, or let me know if you’d like help getting started.

Let’s work together to create positive change!